Stand By Me
by Bindy417
Summary: Sequel to Funny Little Feeling. After a summer of surprises, challenges, and unexpected love, it's time to return to the real world. Fall is just around the corner; and with it, school. Now bad boy Nathan Scott and tutor girl Haley James must face the tou
1. Chapter 1

**Stand By Me**

By Bindy417

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _One Tree Hill_. It belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW.

**Summary: **Sequel to Funny Little Feeling. After a summer of surprises, challenges, and unexpected love, it's time to return to the real world. Fall is just around the corner; and with it, school. Now bad boy Nathan Scott and tutor girl Haley James must face the toughest test of their relationship yet: their peers.

**AN: **Hey, everyone! So I'm finally back with a new story. I busted my butt all summer to make sure I met my September deadline for this fic. And I'm very proud that I did. I'd like to say a quick thank you to Ashly815 for letting me bounce ideas off of her and keeping me motivated, even when I felt burnt out at times. It was really great to get input from another awesome writer. I know that many of you have been waiting a long time for this sequel. I hope that you guys will enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. So let the fun begin, and please tell me what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Haley James ran a frustrated hand through her blonde hair as she looked at the pile of clothes on her bed. She'd been trying to put together the perfect outfit for over an hour now. She eventually narrowed it down between two shirts and a pair of dark blue capris. Now if only she could make a final decision, then this fashion nightmare would be over.

"This looks oddly familiar."

Haley turned around when she heard the deep voice behind her. Her best friend Lucas Scott was standing in her doorway. But he wasn't alone. Much to her delight, his brother and her boyfriend Nathan Scott was right next to him.

"And yet very different," Haley pointed out, eying the pair. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever predicted that her best friend and boyfriend would actually be willing to stay in the same room as one another. Things sure had changed this past summer while they were at camp.

Nathan, followed by Lucas, entered the room. He gave Haley a quick kiss in greeting before asking, "What are you doing?"

"I'm—" she began to answer when Lucas cut in.

"Haley does this all the time. Before anything major happens she has to plan everything out and find the right outfit. It usually takes her awhile," Lucas explained.

"I can see that," Nathan said as he glanced over the mess that was her room.

"You should have seen it before we went to camp. It was a total disaster in here."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Luke," she muttered dryly.

"You're welcome," he beamed.

Haley glanced between the two shirts again and held them up. "Okay, what do you guys think? Do you like the green or the white better?"

"Green."

"White."

Lucas and Nathan stared at one another as Haley groaned. "This is hopeless," she pouted.

"I have to meet up with Brooke in several minutes. Do you want me to just call her and have her come over here?" Lucas offered.

Haley thought about it for a moment. "Okay," she replied. Brooke Davis was Lucas' girlfriend and one of Haley's best friends. The two were polar opposites. Haley tended to be shyer and more conservative while Brooke was more outgoing and flamboyant. But that's what made their friendship so fun.

Brooke was really into fashion, which was another perk. At this point, Haley was desperate. If anyone knew what she should wear tomorrow, it would be Brooke. Haley just hoped that the bubbly brunette didn't pick out something too risqué for her to wear. Brooke was known to overdo things a bit at times.

"I'm going to go call her. I'll be right back."

"I still like the white," Nathan said once Lucas left.

Haley nodded and wrapped her arms around him for a comforting hug.

"What's really got you so worked up, Hales?" Nathan asked knowingly. Haley looked more than stressed at the moment. He noticed that her bottom lip was a little worn. She always bit it when she was nervous or thinking about something.

"Tomorrow's the first day of school," she mumbled.

He frowned. "So?"

"So, we're going to be seniors. Not to mention the fact that the whole social order as everyone knows it is going to be flipped upside down."

"You lost me," Nathan said with a shake of his head.

"Everything is different now, Nathan. We weren't dating before the summer. Hell, you barely even knew who I was."

"I knew you."

Haley stared at him in disbelief.

"Okay, maybe I didn't actually know you. But I was at least aware of you," he defended.

"Not to mention the fact that you and Lucas never got along," she added. "Now you guys actually seem to be acting like brothers."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Nathan questioned. He had hated Lucas ever since he learned that Lucas was Dan Scott's other child. Dan had abandoned Lucas and his mom Karen and headed off to college. That's where Dan had met Nathan's mom Deb and got her pregnant. The two married shortly after.

It was hard to hear the truth about it all as a child. Dan had sworn that Karen and Lucas meant nothing to him. But for some reason he couldn't explain, Nathan always felt like he was being secretly compared to his brother. Dan barely ever mentioned Lucas, but Nathan constantly felt like he had something to prove to his father. Eventually, after years of coming up short in Dan's eyes, that anger and humiliation that Nathan often felt translated into resentment of Lucas.

It wasn't until he'd gone to Camp Aldrich this past summer that he learned to look past the image of his brother that he'd created in his head. He got to know Lucas. A large part of that had to do with Haley. She'd been the link between them. There was also the fact that she was stubborn and had been more than determined to make them behave and get along with one another. Eventually, it had worked. Things could be a bit awkward between Nathan and Lucas, since they were still getting to know more about each other. But overall, they'd managed to work through their differences and move forward.

"Of course it is. I'm so proud of the two of you," Haley answered. "But my point is that before camp, Lucas and I were pretty much the outsiders at school. I guess I'm just worried about what everyone's reaction is going to be."

He ran a hand through her hair. "Hales, there's nothing to worry about."

"Nathan, after all of the things we went through this summer, I wouldn't count on that." Although they'd had a lot of great moments at camp, they'd also had their fair share of bad ones. It had been really hard at times when Stacey and Ryan had deliberately set out to make their lives miserable. Haley had experienced more drama this past summer than she did throughout her entire life. Needless to say, Haley wasn't going to take chances. She was gearing herself up for the worst.

Nathan stared at her for a moment. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. "Listen to me, Hales. I love you. And if anyone has a problem with that, then they're just going to have to get over it. All you need to do is walk into that school tomorrow, be confident, and show them that you're not scared. If you do that, I guarantee that everything will be fine."

"And if it's not?"

Nathan smirked. "Then I'll kick their asses."

"Aw, that's so sweet," someone said.

Haley and Nathan looked towards the door to see Haley's mom Lydia standing in the entryway.

"Mom," Haley muttered. She could feel the blush coloring her cheeks at the knowledge her mom had heard everything.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Lydia stated, walking in. "I just baked some chocolate chip cookies. I thought you kids might like some. Nathan, I know that they're your favorite."

"They are. Thanks, Mrs. James," Nathan replied while taking the plate from her.

"Okay, then. As you were," Lydia told them. She walked out before popping her head back in for a moment. "By the way, Haley Bop, Nathan's right. Don't let those bitches at school push you around."

Haley felt her face redden further at her mother's words.

"Told you," Nathan proclaimed with a triumphant smile.

"You know, I think she likes you more than me," Haley mumbled.

As soon as they'd gotten back from camp a couple of weeks ago, Nathan had been invited for dinner at her house. Haley had written to her parents all summer while they were driving around the country in their RV, visiting Haley's numerous siblings. Once they'd gotten home, Lydia and Jimmy were very excited about meeting the boy who their daughter had fallen head over heels for. Much to Haley's, and especially Nathan's relief since he'd been so nervous, they instantly took a shine to him.

Nathan laughed while picking up a cookie and taking a huge bite. "I'm just charming, I guess."

"And a very messy eater," she giggled as she wiped the crumbs away from Nathan's mouth.

"Okay, Tutor Girl, don't freak out. I'm here," Brooke announced as she sprinted into the room with Lucas following behind.

"Sorry it took so long," Lucas apologized. "I had to go and pick her up just now."

"It's okay," Haley told him.

"Ooh, cookies!" Brooke exclaimed in excitement. She grabbed one and turned back to Haley. "All right, Broody filled me in on your situation. You need an outfit for tomorrow that says, 'Hey, I'm not slutty but am definitely hot enough to be dating Nathan Scott.'"

Lucas frowned. "I didn't say it like that."

"Haley's always hot," Nathan chimed in.

"You two need to leave," Brooke ordered. "Right now."

"But—" they both started to protest.

"We need to concentrate. Plus, Haley's going to change and try things on."

Nathan smirked. "Now I definitely want to stay."

Haley instantly blushed when he sent a sexy wink her way.

"Out!" Brooke demanded and pointed her finger towards the door.

"Fine," Lucas sighed, giving in. "It's not like I want to be scarred for life by seeing Haley naked anyway."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Luke."

"You know what I mean. You're like my sister."

"Well, she sure as hell isn't my sister," Nathan declared with a cheeky smile.

Lucas grabbed Nathan by the shirt and yanked him towards the door. "Okay, we're leaving. But we're all still on for tonight, right?"

"Yeah," Haley answered.

"We'll be there," Brooke assured him.

"Good. Bye, ladies."

"Wait a minute," Nathan said. He grabbed a few more cookies from the plate. "Just some for the road. These things are good."

"Go!" Brooke exclaimed in frustration. Afterward, she slammed the door behind them. "Finally!"

"Brooke, before we start, I'm just begging you to please not overdo it."

Brooke placed her hands on her hips. "Haley, come on. It's me."

"I know. That's what I'm worried about."

* * *

Nathan took a swig from his water bottle as he walked into his house. After Brooke had practically kicked him and Lucas out the door, the pair had decided to go down to the River Court to play basketball. They had a very big and important season ahead of them. They were going to be seniors. Therefore, it would be their last year as Ravens to make it to the state championship and impress the college scouts. Needless to say, they had their work cut out for them.

Nathan never thought it would be possible, but he was actually glad that he and Lucas would be co-captains. It had originally seemed like his worst nightmare when Whitey broke the news to them at the end of last school year. Now, however, it was kind of a relief to share the pressure with someone. All of Tree Hill had been waiting for years for the Ravens to make it to the championship. Not since his dad had played for Whitey did they have this much potential to really win. As a result, all eyes would be on them now.

"I'm not renegotiating this," Nathan heard his mother's voice from the other room. He walked towards the kitchen where he saw her talking on the phone. Based on her harsh tone and frustrated expression, he could tell that she wasn't in a good mood at the moment.

"You can't do that, Dan. We already agreed to that…No. You don't have any say in the matter…It's his decision, Dan," Deb shouted into the phone. "Nathan's practically an adult. He can make his own decisions….Then that's too damn bad, because he's staying with me. And that's final."

Nathan cringed as he heard his mom slam the phone down. "Is everything okay?" he questioned while walking further into the room.

"Oh, Nathan, honey, I didn't know you were home."

"I just got in."

"Are you hungry? Did you want some lunch?" Deb offered. It didn't escape him that she was trying to change the subject.

"Mom," he warned.

Deb sighed. "I'm sorry you had to hear that. Your father's just being, well, an ass."

"He's always been that way, Mom."

"I know, but he's been even worse during this divorce."

"He's pissed about me choosing to live with you, isn't he?" he guessed. It seemed like his parents' divorce process was stretching on forever. First they'd argued about money. Then it was about assets and property. Now they were fighting for custody of him.

Luckily, Nathan had learned that he could choose who he wanted to live with. The only problem now was that his father didn't like that decision. Dan had made his life a living hell over the years. Nathan would do anything to escape being stuck with him again.

"You know how he is when he doesn't get his way," Deb reminded him.

"Anything I can do to help?"

Deb shook her head. "No. You just concentrate on school and basketball. I can handle the rest."

"You sure?"

"Yes," Deb said with a nod. "Being married to Dan all those years was the hard part. This is a piece of cake."

Nathan nodded as he dropped his empty water bottle into the sink.

"So, are you ready for school tomorrow?"

Nathan groaned. "Not really."

Deb laughed. "I figured as much. You never were into academia."

"Nope," he commented with a shake of his head.

"What about Haley?"

Nathan rolled his eyes and smiled. "She loves the first day of school. She's already bought all of her school supplies. Even her backpack is ready to go."

_Now if she could only relax about tomorrow, then she would be all set_, he thought. He didn't really blame Haley for being nervous. They were quite the odd couple. There was no doubt that people would be surprised when they showed up at school tomorrow kissing and walking hand-in-hand. People would talk, but Nathan didn't care. He loved Haley. That's all that mattered. He was positive that everything would work itself out eventually.

"If only some of that could rub off on you," Deb joked.

"Maybe," he said with a shrug.

"I just want you to do your best, Nathan. You owe that to yourself—no matter what Dan may have told you in the past."

In Dan's book, school and grades were always a second to basketball. Nathan's GPA had suffered a lot because of that rationality. This year, however, Nathan wanted to at least try to do well. Whether it was because he was free to disobey his father's orders or it would make Haley proud, Nathan didn't know. But he had a feeling that it was mostly the latter.

"I'll try, Mom," he told her.

"Good. Now, how about lunch?"

* * *

"How about another game?"

"No, I'm done," Peyton declared.

"Me, too," Brooke added.

Haley scoffed. "Aw, come on. It wasn't that bad."

"Dude, you are like the mini-golf champion," Peyton declared. "You slaughtered us."

The three were on the rooftop of Karen's Café. When they were young, Haley and Lucas had built a miniature golf course up there. They used to play all of the time, which was how Haley had gotten so good. She sucked at sports, but she sure knew how to putt like nobody's business.

"I don't like losing," Brooke pouted before checking her watch. "And where the hell are the guys?"

"Well, Jake just texted me a few minutes ago. He's on his way now—if he hasn't gotten lost," Peyton added, mumbling.

"How can he get lost? Tree Hill's like the smallest freaking town in North Carolina."

"He did just move here with his family," Peyton reminded her. "And since he's been away for the summer, he never had a chance to get familiar with everything."

Jake's family had moved to Tree Hill from Savannah, Georgia in May. His parents had sent him to Camp Aldrich to meet some kids his own age before school started. He'd been Lucas and Nathan's roommate. He was a good guy and instantly fit in with their new and improved group. Peyton had had the biggest crush on him all summer. The two were finally together now, and everyone couldn't be happier for them.

"I guess you're right," Brooke admitted. She turned to Haley. "Aside from mini golf, why does everyone have to meet up here?"

"I told you guys that it was a surprise."

"But we're here now," Peyton pointed out. "Why can't you tell us already?"

"We have to wait until everyone else shows up," Haley stated. It was then that the rooftop door opened.

"Good evening, ladies," Tim greeted in a suave voice.

"Dim, what are you doing here?" Brooke asked.

"The Tim was invited."

"If that's the surprise, you're dead," Brooke told Haley.

She shook her head. "Trust me, it's not."

"Hey, guys," Kat said from behind him.

The girls all looked at her in astonishment. "I thought you couldn't make it," Peyton reminded her.

"Well, there was a change of plans," Kat told them. "So I called up Tim and had him bring me here."

"It's good to see you, Kitty Kat," Brooke said as she hugged her. "It's been a couple of weeks."

Peyton and Haley followed suit. They'd also met Kat at Camp Aldrich. She'd been their roommate. They'd all become good friends. She also happened to be Tim's girlfriend now.

"I know. It sucks that I don't live here with you guys. But I promise to visit whenever I get a chance."

"After you get your Tim Time of course," Tim spoke up.

The girls all rolled their eyes. Tim always came up with the weirdest things.

"Okay, we're here," Nathan announced as he, Lucas, and Jake walked through the door. "What did we miss?"

"Tim Time, apparently," Peyton joked.

"Oh, thank God," Lucas muttered.

"Okay, everyone is here. Now can we please know what is going on?" Brooke begged as she sidled up to Lucas.

"The reason why Haley and I have asked you all to come here is because we've decided to include you all in a little tradition," Lucas announced before looking to Haley.

"And that would be?" Nathan inquired curiously.

"Well, you see, every year we come up here the day before school starts," Haley explained as she walked over towards the brick wall. She felt around for the loose brick. She pulled it out and reached in the space to grab a tiny tin box.

Everyone stared at her with interest.

"What's with the box?" Jake questioned.

"This is part of it. What we do is we make predictions of what we think will happen or want to happen in the upcoming year." She opened the box and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. "We then write our predictions down on the paper and put them back in our hiding spot. After a year has passed, we come back up here to see what we wrote and if it came true."

"That's actually kind of cool," Kat complimented as the others nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. It's a lot of fun—especially when we realize how stupid some of the stuff we wrote is," Lucas added. "Anyway, we thought that you guys would like to do it with us this year. Seeing as though we're seniors now and everything."

"I'm definitely in," Peyton proclaimed.

"Me, too," Jake said.

"But now we know where it's hiding. What's to stop one of us from coming up here and seeing what we each wrote?" Brooke inquired.

Lucas wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "That's the other part of it. We just have to trust each other."

"Can we hear what you guys have written in the past?" Nathan asked.

"Hold on a sec," Haley replied as she unfolded the paper. "Let's see…'This year I'll talk to Brooke Davis.' That was Luke's, by the way."

"Aw, Broody. That's so sweet," Brooke cooed as the others laughed out loud.

Lucas flushed from embarrassment. "Thanks, Haley."

"What about you?" Tim questioned.

Haley pulled out her list and read the first prediction. "'This year I'll date a musician.'" She frowned before looking at Nathan. Everyone else's gazes followed.

"Tough luck, Nate," Tim chuckled.

Nathan glared at his friend before muttering dryly, "Why is this fun again?"

"Like Lucas said, sometimes we write stupid stuff," Haley repeated while giving him an apologetic look.

"Who cares? It's funny. Hand me a piece of paper," Brooke requested. "I'm in."

Haley passed out the pieces of paper and pencils to everyone. They all sat down at the picnic table and started to write.

"Sorry," Haley whispered to Nathan.

He leaned in and kissed her gently. "It's okay," he stated before smirking. "As long as you don't write that down again."

Haley smiled. "I won't. I'm kind of into basketball players this year."

"Really?"

"Uh huh."

"Interesting. I'm kind of into tutors myself."

"Good choice."

Nathan smirked and kissed her once more before returning to his own predictions. He wrote down everything he wanted to happen. It was a bit of wishful thinking, but who knew. Maybe it would actually come true.

* * *

"This is it."

"I know."

"It's going to be fine."

"Sure it is."

"Hales," Nathan stated as he took her hands in his. "You have nothing to be worried about."

"I know," she said while taking a deep breath. "It's okay. I'm going to be all right. I'm really nervous, but I can do it."

"Come here," Nathan said as he pulled Haley into a hug. The two were standing behind his SUV in the school parking lot. Nathan had taken a spot more towards the back for today. He wanted to have some alone time with Haley before they finally went inside the building. Nathan leaned back slightly before cupping her cheek and claiming her lips in his own.

Haley felt her back being pressed into the side of his car as Nathan kissed her passionately. She could feel her knees starting to give out and was thankful for his strong hold on her. By the time they broke apart, she was breathless.

"You look beautiful," Nathan stated as he gazed into her eyes. Her makeup was light and natural looking. The top layers of Haley's honey blonde hair were pulled back with a jeweled barrette leaving only a few wisps hanging in front. The rest fell at her shoulders. Her top was a white halter that had a scooped neckline trimmed with turquoise stones. With that she wore dark blue capris along with wedged, white sandals. Her jewelry included simple silver hoop earrings along with some silver bracelets. Overall, she looked stunning.

"You think so? Brooke took me shopping yesterday after you guys left and helped me pick it out," she said, blushing at the intense way he was looking at her.

"If it wasn't the first day, I'd say we skip school all together so that I can have you all to myself," he teased.

Haley smiled as she fixed the collar of his light blue polo shirt. "Sounds good to me." A moment later, they heard one of the bells inside the school ring. "But I guess that'll have to wait for another time."

Nathan bobbed his head in agreement as he picked up his backpack off of the ground. "We better go."

"Right," Haley said as she slid her messenger bag onto her shoulder.

"We're in this together. Remember?"

Haley nodded. "Yeah," she said with a timid smile. "We are."


	2. Chapter 2

**First off, I'd like to thank you all for your reviews last chapter. Your feedback is always great and serves to make my day. Second, there is a problem with the site. I haven't been able to upload any files for at least a couple of days. So for those of you who are authors and having trouble, I basically took an old file already uploaded. Then I deleted the words of that file and cut and pasted the new chapter into it. It's kind of a pain in the ass because the format gets a little screwed up, but you can fix that. That's the only way I was able to get this chapter up now. Anyway, I hope you guys like this next installment. So please read and review!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Haley's stomach was in knots, but she was determined to stay in control. It was a new school year. A fresh start. There was no reason why she should feel intimidated. Like Nathan told her yesterday, all she needed was confidence. Luckily, that was one of the things her boyfriend always managed to inspire in her.

Nathan had kissed her forehead once more before leading them out from behind his SUV. They'd walked across the parking lot hand-in-hand. Out of the corner of her eyes, Haley noticed people's heads turning as they passed by. Haley's grip on Nathan's hand tightened as the building loomed closer and closer. There were scattered groups still standing outside. No doubt catching up with their friends and asking about summer break. Haley kept her head held high as they, too, seemed to watch them with curious and confused stares.

It wasn't until they entered the double doors into the long hallway that Haley felt the full weight of everyone's gazes. Most of the student body was at their lockers getting settled in before homeroom was to begin. Haley felt Nathan release her hand and looked over at him inquisitively. He gave her one of his private smiles just for her as he wrapped his arm around her waist and proceeded to lead them down the corridor.

Even more people watched and started whispering amongst each other, but Haley paid them no attention. She was too busy watching Nathan in all his awe. He seemed completely self-assured and at ease despite the large amount of attention they were garnering at the moment. Haley noticed him nod at a few people as they passed. He'd always been known as the king of Tree Hill High, and now Haley truly saw why. Most of the time he was simply Nathan to her. But in this moment, there was just something about Nathan Scott's presence that made him seem larger than life. And the fact that she was the one he chose to have next to him sent an unexpected shiver up her spine.

"What?" Nathan questioned when he noticed Haley staring at him.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

He quirked an eyebrow as they approached her locker. "You sure?"

Haley smiled and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, which seemed to cause the chatter in the hallway to get even louder. "I'm sure." She quickly put away a few of her notebooks and school supplies in her locker. They still had to go to Nathan's before heading to homeroom.

"Hey, guys," a voice greeted.

They turned to the left and saw Jake a few lockers down from them.

"Hi, Jake," Haley replied while Nathan nodded.

He shut his own locker and approached them. "So, is the first day of school always like this or am I missing something?" he asked while gesturing to all of the people glancing in their direction and whispering.

"Not usually," Nathan answered. "But seeing as though Haley and I have just completely broken all of the rules within the first five minutes of entering the school, I'd say it's going to be like this for the rest of the day."

"More like the next few months," Haley corrected.

"And what rules would that be?" Jake questioned, perplexed.

"The rules of social hierarchy."

"Ah, yes," Jake replied. "The jock and the tutor. Not your usual combination."

"Exactly," she stated with a nod.

"Which is why I've never given a damn about what people think," Nathan spoke up while checking his watch. "We've got about seven minutes before homeroom. I've got to head over to my locker."

"I'll come with you guys," Jake said. "Peyton and the rest of the gang are already there."

As they turned the corner, Brooke's voice could be heard a few feet away. "Why do all of your last names have to begin with an S," the brunette pouted. "I'm completely by myself over in Guam."

"Sorry, Cheery, but you know they always go by grade and then alphabetical order," Lucas replied.

"Well, it still sucks," she muttered.

"Don't feel bad, Tigger," Haley said as they approached. "I'm in another section, too."

Brooke's eyes immediately lit up. "Ooh, look, everyone. If it isn't the new Brangelina of Tree Hill High—minus all of the kids."

"What are you talking about?" Nathan questioned as he bumped fists with Lucas and Tim, nodded towards Peyton, and started to open his locker.

"I'm talking about the fact that you and Haley over here caused quite the scene during your big entrance. I've had at least seven people come up to me already asking if the two of you are actually dating."

"Why would they ask you?" Haley asked, frowning.

"Because I'm the gossip queen. Duh."

"And what did you tell them?" Peyton questioned.

"That Naley are totally together and hot for each other."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Brooke."

Brooke gave her a beaming smile. "You're welcome. Although, I'm sure I'll hear more as the day goes on."

"As long as the punks in this school know that Haley is off limits, that's all I care about," Nathan stated as he shut his locker and drew Haley into his side.

"Very caveman, Nate," Peyton teased.

Nathan smirked. "Whatever gets the point across."

The bell rang again, signaling that they had five minutes left.

"We better get to homeroom," Lucas urged.

"I hate that they wait this long to give us our schedules. Then we don't know if we have any of the same classes or not," Brooke complained.

Haley nodded in agreement. The only thing they got over the summer was their locker numbers, list of classes, and the teachers' names. The period and times were never stated, so you didn't know your full schedule until it was passed out to you in homeroom.

"Never mind that. I'll be lucky if I can find my way around," Jake muttered.

Peyton patted his back. "I'll help you."

"Me, too," Haley said. "We're in the same homeroom, so I'm sure I can give you directions if you have trouble."

Jake smiled. "Thanks."

Brooke turned to Lucas. "Broody, you gonna walk me?"

"Sure," he answered. "I'll see you guys later."

"Nate Dogg, where are you going?" Tim asked and pointed down the hall. "We're that way."

"I'll be there in a minute. I'm going with Haley first."

"I guess you can just follow them," Peyton said as she kissed Jake quickly.

"Yeah. You go ahead with Tim."

Afterward, the group of friends went their separate ways.

"I'll save you a seat, Haley," Jake said once they were outside their classroom.

"Okay, thanks."

"If we don't have any classes together, I'll save you a seat at lunch," Nathan promised.

Haley took a peek inside her homeroom and saw more people watching them in the doorway. "That's if I make it til then," she quipped. "Wish me luck."

Nathan gave her a quick peck on the lips and grinned. "You don't need it."

* * *

"Oh, God," Haley groaned. "Of all the classes, why do we have to have that one together?"

Nathan smirked. "What's wrong with gym?" He and Haley were sitting in their English class. Their teacher had already gone over the syllabus and passed out their textbooks. They only had fifteen minutes left until lunch, so the teacher was letting everyone just talk for the rest of the period. Nathan and Haley had decided to compare their schedules.

"In case you've forgotten, I'm a total klutz."

"Hales, I already knew that," he joked.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but now you're going to see me at my worst." She always managed to embarrass herself one way or another during P.E.

"So? It's no big deal."

"You say that now. Just wait until you see me take a volleyball to the head or something."

"Then it's a good thing that we're together," he declared in a playful tone. "Now I can save you from yourself."

"How noble," she muttered.

Nathan chuckled as he took her hand in his. He ran his thumb over her soft skin. Haley stared at their hands and smiled. She still found it kind of surreal that they were together. At Camp Aldrich, they'd been in their own special little world. But being back in school, she was reminded of the reality that guys like Nathan didn't usually date girls like her. And yet, here they were, sitting in class and holding hands while their peers tried to figure out how they'd managed to defy the odds.

"Hey, Nate."

Nathan reluctantly looked away from Haley and saw a few of his old friends standing before them. Ted and Dustin were his teammates. With them were their girlfriends Nicki and Theresa.

"Hey, guys," Nathan greeted casually. "How's it going?"

"Other than it being the first day of school, it's good," Ted answered.

"How about you?" Dustin asked. "Anything interesting happen over the summer?"

Nathan didn't miss the glance he and the others shot over to Haley. "A lot, actually," he replied.

Nicki smiled. "We can see that."

Nathan noticed Haley starting to bite her lip and knew that she was feeling nervous. Not that he blamed her. It was obvious that his friends were giving her the once over, especially Nicki and Theresa. They did have the tendency to be intimidating.

"So, who's your new friend?" Theresa questioned, gesturing to Haley.

_Here it goes_, he thought.

"This is my _girlfriend_ Haley James," Nathan introduced. "And Haley, these are my teammates Ted and Dustin and their girlfriends Nicki and Theresa."

"We're on the cheerleading squad," Nicki added.

Haley smiled politely. "It's nice to meet you."

"Are you new to the school?" Theresa inquired.

"No."

"Oh. That's odd. I don't remember seeing you," Nicki said, the snub obvious in her voice.

"Well, maybe you should be more aware of your surroundings," Haley answered, meeting her gaze.

Nathan coughed into his hand, trying to hide a smile. The shocked look on Nicki's face was priceless. Not many people in school dared to answer her back when she was acting catty. It was then that the lunch bell rang.

"So, Nate, will Haley be joining us at our table?" Dustin inquired.

Nathan shook his head. "No."

Haley's head snapped up to look at him in confusion as his friends watched them carefully. She didn't understand. What happened to them facing everyone together? Was Nathan really going to leave her alone?

"Oh, that's too bad," Theresa said. Haley assumed that she was trying to sound sympathetic but couldn't quite pull it off.

"We're going to sit with some other people," Nathan continued. Haley wasn't sure what was going on, but she was glad to hear that she wouldn't have to put up with these people for much longer.

"You are?" Ted questioned, perplexed.

Nathan looked down at Haley. "Yeah. I'm sure Lucas and Brooke have already saved us seats."

Dustin shook his head. "Lucas? As in Lucas Scott?"

"Yeah," he answered.

"And Brooke Davis?" Nicki inquired.

"Yup."

The foursome glanced at one another again, seemingly more baffled than before.

"But I thought you hated Lucas," Ted pointed out.

"And why would Lucas Scott be hanging out with Brooke Davis?" Theresa mumbled.

"Like I said, a lot happened over the summer," Nathan stated. "But we have to go. They're probably waiting. I'll see you guys later." He wrapped an arm around Haley's waist and ushered her out of the classroom.

"Well, that was…interesting," Haley commented as they made their way to the quad.

Nathan shook his head. "I'm sorry about them," he apologized. "Especially Nicki and Theresa. They can be really nosy and bitchy sometimes."

"It's okay. I think you handled it very well."

"Thanks. You, too."

"So, are we really sitting with Lucas and Brooke?"

"Yeah. Peyton, Brooke, and I all talked, and we figured we'd pick out a new spot for today."

Haley frowned as they passed by the section where Nathan, Peyton, and Brooke used to sit. Most of the students there were either jocks, cheerleaders, or just popular in general. Haley noticed them talking amongst each other.

"Why?"

"If you think those other four were bad, then you won't like the rest of them," Nathan explained. He knew how some of his old friends could be. They weren't always the nicest people. He and Haley were already on display enough today. He didn't want to add to her discomfort.

Despite the distance, it wasn't hard for Haley to see the looks of confusion and annoyance on the popular kids' faces as they talked. One of the guys turned his head in their direction, causing Haley to quickly look away from his hard gaze. She'd take Nathan's word for it on this one.

"I guess you'll have to give up your seat with the cool people, then, huh?" Haley tried to tease.

Nathan smirked as he drew her more into his side. "I don't have to give up anything. We make the rules. It's the rest of them who follow."

Haley pondered Nathan's words for a moment and smiled. It was a good way to look at things.

"Haley, Nathan, over here," someone called. They turned to the left and saw Peyton and Jake waving them over.

"Hey, guys," Haley greeted as she and Nathan sat down at the table.

"So, how's your day been?" Peyton questioned.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Do you ever have those days when it feels like you're having an out-of-body experience?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that's what it's like."

"Tell me about it," Lucas spoke up as he joined them. Tim was right behind him. "I don't know about you guys but I've been stared at all day."

Haley laughed as she unpacked her lunch. "Who would've thought that the two of us could cause so much chaos?"

"I guess we've officially left normal," he said with a shake of his head and then frowned. "Wait a minute, didn't you guys used to sit on the other side of the quad?" Lucas asked Peyton. "Isn't that where all of the cool people sit?"

"Well, we figured it was time to shake things up," Peyton explained.

"And whose idea was that?"

"Mine," Nathan spoke up.

Lucas glanced over at the other tables. "Your friends don't look so happy."

"They'll get over it," Nathan said with a shrug.

"I can't get over it!" Brooke exclaimed as she came rushing towards their table.

Haley shot Nathan a look.

"Get over what?" Lucas questioned.

"All of this attention. The whole school is going nuts."

Tim scratched his head in confusion. "I don't get it."

"Okay, here's what I got so far," Brooke began as she squeezed in between Lucas and Peyton. "Everyone is pretty much shocked that Nathan and Haley are together. I mean, nobody saw that coming. So, needless to say, the female population is pretty pissed."

Haley sighed. "Well, that explains the dirty looks I've been getting all day." But it's not like that was anything new. She'd already dealt with that happening this past summer at camp.

"Actually, that's probably because you look so fabulous," Brooke proclaimed, "if I do say so myself. But it's not just about you being with Nathan, though. I've noticed a lot of the guys checking you out, too, Tutor Girl."

"What?" Nathan gritted out as his fists clenched around his soda can. The next guy he saw eying Haley was dead.

"There's no need to freak out," Brooke stated. "They're just trying to figure out how you realized she was so hot before they did."

"Brooke," Haley admonished as the blush formed on her face.

"What? You are. That outfit I picked out for you is smokin'. So, anyway, the two of you are the main attraction," Brooke explained. "But there's more. Apparently, everyone is also trying to figure out when Lucas and Nathan started getting along. Since Nathan and Haley are now together, people were expecting Lucas to flip out or something. But they're totally baffled by the fact that you two are completely normal around one another. Not to mention the fact that I'm now dating Lucas. That was a bit of a shock, too, for everyone."

"Thanks, Brooke," Lucas mumbled dryly.

Brooke flicked her hand dismissively. "Oh, you know what I mean. No one ever expected me to be the dating type-the bastards. But that's beside the point. And finally, a lot of the girls are wondering who the new beefcake walking around with P. Sawyer is."

Jake paused just as he was about to bite his sandwich. "Me?"

Brooke nodded. "You better keep an eye on him, P. Sawyer. The girls smell fresh meat."

"Over my dead body," Peyton scoffed.

"What about me?" Tim spoke up.

Brooke frowned. "What about you?"

"Did anyone ask about me?"

"No."

"But did they—"

"No."

"Well, they had to at least—"

"Still no," Brooke answered.

"Damn it. You'd think someone would miss their Tim Time," he pouted.

Everyone rolled their eyes before moving on to more casual topics. A short while later, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"Where are you headed?" Nathan asked Haley.

"Current events in room 108," she answered.

"I've got French in 110. I can walk you."

"We'll see you guys later," Haley said to the group. She locked arms with Nathan as they made their way inside.

"So, I'll wait for you after your last class," Nathan told her once they reached her classroom. "You have calculus, right?"

"Yeah. Lucas, Brooke, and I have it together."

"Alright. I'll see you then."

Haley leaned on her tiptoes to give him a sweet kiss on the lips. "Okay."

"Try not to miss me too much," he joked, grinning.

"Get to class, Scott," Haley laughed. She entered the classroom and took a seat towards the front. Once again, she could feel her peers' gazes burning a hole in the back of her head. But Haley ignored them and busied herself with pulling out her notebook and pens. When she finally looked back up, Haley noticed Nicki and Theresa walk into the room.

_It figures_ _they'd be in my class,_ she thought unhappily.

The pair eyed her as they passed by. "I give it a week before Nathan gets bored and dumps her," she heard Nicki whisper loudly. A few people around Haley snickered. She just rolled her eyes, more than ready to prove them wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Wow, Karen, that is amazing."

"Isn't it?"

"I would love to visit Europe someday—especially Italy," Haley stated as she picked up another photograph and examined it. It was her first shift back at Karen's Café since before the summer. But business was slow that evening so Karen had let her take a break and showed her the scrapbook she was making of her trip to Florence. Lucas' mom had spent the summer there at a cooking school. She'd just gotten back last week.

Haley had really missed Karen. She'd always been like a second mother to her. Haley enjoyed hearing about the wonderful time Karen had. If anyone deserved it, it was her. The older woman always worked so hard.

"You should," Karen encouraged. "It really opens your eyes to the world. And I got some awesome new recipes out of it."

Haley smiled. "I'll bet."

"So, what about you?" she asked.

"What about me?"

"According to Lucas, the two of you had quite the interesting summer."

Haley placed the pictures back down on the counter. "How much did Lucas tell you?"

"Well, let's see…everything," she joked.

"Oh," Haley laughed softly. "You're not mad, are you?"

Karen frowned. "Why would I be mad?"

"Well, I just wasn't sure how you'd feel about Nathan and me dating. I know that he wasn't the nicest guy before, especially to Lucas. But he's really changed and become a good guy and—"

"Haley, it's fine," Karen interrupted.

"It is?" Haley had been nervous about Karen's reaction. Lucas hadn't been very thrilled in the beginning when he found out at that she was dating Nathan. Not that Haley could blame him. Nathan hadn't had the best reputation over the years. And seeing as though Karen was Lucas' mom, Haley wasn't sure how she would feel about Haley being with the guy who'd formerly made her son's life a living hell.

"Yes, it is. Lucas told me how well things are going with Nathan, and I know that it's all because of you. I'm so glad about that. I might not be able to stand Dan, but I've never really known Nathan well enough to judge him. And a part of me always suspected it was his father's influence more than anything else that had made Nathan that way," Karen explained. "And from what I understand, you managed to change all that. You're a good judge of character, Haley. So if you say that Nathan has changed for the better then I believe you."

Haley nodded and smiled timidly. "Nathan really is an amazing guy, Karen. He's helped me get through some really difficult things, too. I wouldn't be with him if I didn't trust him," she promised.

Karen patted her hand. "I know," she said. "Now, tell me about school. How has your first couple of days back been?"

Haley couldn't contain the sigh that escaped. "Um…different."

"I'm sure."

"What did Lucas tell you about that?" she asked knowingly.

"He just said that there's been a lot of talk going around."

"Well, he's got that right. No one ever expected Nathan and me to get together. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people whisper about how he's going to dump me and move on soon," Haley explained. "Not to mention the fact that people usually looked forward to seeing what kind of fight was going to erupt between Nathan and Lucas next. Now that they're being friendly with one another, it seems like their former source of entertainment is gone."

Karen rolled her eyes. "Well, that's high school. Gossip is pretty much everything."

"It's just hard getting used to it. I was always in the background before."

"Seeing as though I was a cheerleader and with Dan in high school, I was never in the background. But I've been where you are now. It'll get better. You just gotta hang in there and show them that they can't get to you," Karen advised.

"Believe me, I'm trying," Haley said. "And I'm actually going to be a cheerleader, too."

Karen stared at her in surprise. "You are?"

"Yeah. And I know that you probably think I'm crazy since I can be such a klutz."

"Well, you did help the girls win that tournament over the summer. Sometimes you can go through phases."

Haley sighed. "Today I tripped over my own feet and almost went face first into my locker."

"Oh," Karen commented. "Well, then, just be careful."

"That's the story of my life," Haley said as she stood up and started to wipe down the counter.

"When's your first practice?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"That's when Lucas has his."

"Yeah. Basketball and cheerleading are usually together. Unless Brooke wants us to do more, which I'm sure she will when the important games start coming up," Haley explained. She looked over and saw some more customers enter. "I better get back to work."

Karen nodded. "All right. I'll be in the kitchen."

"Hey, Karen," Haley called to her before she could leave.

"Yes?"

"From one Ravens cheerleader to another, you got any advice?"

"Sure. Watch out for those star players. They're trouble," she said with a smile and wink.

Haley laughed. "Thanks. I'll remember that."

* * *

"Hey, baby."

Haley jumped in surprise before turning around and coming face-to-face with her smirking boyfriend. "You scared me," she said while smacking his shoulder.

"Sorry," he replied. Although, in Haley's opinion, he didn't seem that apologetic. "So, how was your day?"

"Hm, let me think. I've got three reading assignments, a short essay to write, some math problems to do, and I've got to head over to the Tutoring Center to pick up my new list of tutees," she listed. "Oh, and I've got my first cheerleading practice in about a half hour."

"I guess it's a good thing it's Friday then," he joked.

"I'm going to need a break from the madness." She had so much to do already. She wasn't sure where to even start.

"Well, how about I come with you to the Tutoring Center. And then tomorrow, after you've done all of your homework, we can hang out," he proposed.

Haley smiled. "That sounds wonderful."

"I thought you'd like it," he said, grinning, and leaned in to kiss her.

"Hey, Nate!"

The pair broke apart and noticed a few guys approaching them. "More friends of yours?" Haley questioned. She'd been meeting various people of Nathan's old crew over the last few days. So far, she hadn't really met anyone she would actually want to hang out with even if she wasn't dating Nathan.

"Sort of," he mumbled.

"Dude, where have you been for the last three days?" the tall, burly one asked.

Nathan frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, seeing as though we don't have any classes together and you don't sit with us at lunch anymore, it seems like forever since we've seen you."

"I've been around," Nathan said with a shrug. "It's been kind of a crazy few days back."

"We know," another guy spoke up. "So, you must be the infamous Haley everyone's been talking about."

Haley clutched her books to her chest a little tighter as the guys' gazes all shifted to her. "I don't know about the infamous part, but Haley will do fine."

"I'm Adam," the tall guy introduced himself. "And this is Vegas and Jebar."

"Hi," Haley replied politely as they nodded at her. "Are you teammates of Nathan's?"

"Vegas and Jebar are," Nathan answered. "Adam is on the football team."

"Oh."

"Aren't you Lucas Scott's best friend?" Vegas inquired.

Haley nodded. "Yes."

"Interesting," Jebar commented.

"So, how did the two of you meet?" Adam asked. "No one can seem to figure it out."

"Lucas and me?" Haley replied, confused.

"No, you and Nathan. I mean, it's no secret that Lucas and Nathan don't get along—or at least they used to."

Haley looked to Nathan, not sure how to even begin.

"We all ended up at the same summer camp," Nathan stated.

"Summer camp?" Vegas laughed.

"It's a long story. Anyway, we were all there. Haley and I met, Lucas and I worked things out, and now everything is different," he explained vaguely. Nathan wasn't about to tell them every detail about what had happened.

Jebar didn't look convinced. "That's it?"

"Pretty much." An awkward silence passed between the five of them.

"Isn't that…interesting," Adam finally spoke up.

Haley checked her watch and nudged Nathan.

"Look, guys, Haley and I have an errand to run. I'll see you later."

"Aren't you coming to basketball practice?" Vegas asked. "It starts in, like, twenty minutes."

"We'll be there."

"We?" Adam inquired.

"Haley's on the cheerleading squad."

The guys' eyebrows raised in surprise at that one. Haley felt their intense gazes on her, once again, and instinctively moved more towards Nathan. She didn't know what was up with all of Nathan's friends looking at her like that. Didn't they know it was impolite to stare?

Nathan wrapped his arm around Haley's shoulders and nodded towards his friends. "Well, we really have to go or we're going to be late. Bye, guys." He quickly ushered Haley down the hall with him. He didn't like the way they were blatantly looking her up and down. Nathan knew that the whole cheerleader thing would get their attention, though.

"Do they all have to do that?" Haley murmured once they were out of earshot.

"Do what?"

"Gawk at me like that," she elaborated.

Nathan sighed and shook his head. "I really wish they wouldn't. But, unfortunately, you're kind of a novelty to them right now. And since none of them understand it, they're curious."

"Well, it's really starting to get annoying."

"Tell me about it. You think I like watching them all check you out." It was taking everything inside of him to keep his fists at his sides these last few days.

Nathan had never felt so protective of a girl before. He'd cared about Peyton when they went out, but he'd never loved her. If someone looked at her, he'd either let it go or only step in when he thought the person was trying to disrespect him. It was all about _his_ pride. With Haley, he didn't care if the guy was trying to get to him or not. He cared about _her_ and making sure that she wasn't uncomfortable or going to be hurt.

Haley rolled her eyes. "I don't think that's exactly what they were doing, Nathan," she said while opening the door to the Tutoring Center.

"Trust me. I used to be one of them. I know how they are."

"But you're not anymore," she pointed out.

Nathan grabbed her hand and drew her towards him. "No, I'm not," he said and kissed her.

* * *

"Welcome back, gentlemen," Whitey called. "I hope you all had a fun summer, because play time is over. As I'm sure most of you know by now, this is going to be my thirty-fifth year coaching Ravens basketball. What's so special about it is that it will also be my last."

A few guys on the team murmured to one another. Nathan glanced over at his brother and the two shared a look. They already knew what was coming.

"In all my years of coaching, only one team came close to winning the state championship," Whitey stated. "And we all know how that turned out. Since then, I've coached some good teams. But none have had the potential to go all the way—except for you. With your talent, you all have the potential to be great. Possibly even the greatest team I've ever coached.

"But it takes more than talent to make it. It takes drive. It's my job to show you the way, but it's all of you who have to want to work hard and win. For those of you who know what's it's like to push through and be the best"-His gaze shifted briefly to Nathan and Lucas-"I don't have to remind you how amazing it makes you feel. And since this is my last year, I'm going to make it count.

"With that in mind, there's going to be a few changes this season. I've been tinkering with the offense and defense, so a few of you may be switching positions. Nothing is permanent as of right now. I want to see how you do during practice. Also, we have a new player." Whitey motioned towards Jake. "I expect you boys to show Jake here the ropes as we go along. And finally, Lucas and Nathan Scott are your new co-captains," Whitey declared.

Nathan felt everyone's curious eyes shift to him and Lucas. Before the summer, everyone knew how pissed Nathan had been about this development. He could see his teammates trying to gauge his reaction and made sure to keep his expression neutral.

"They're both great players. If you watch them and listen to me, we shouldn't have any problems this season."

Tim raised is hand. "Um, Coach?"

"What is it, Smith?" Whitey questioned.

"Will you be appointing a second in command?"

Whitey frowned. "A what?"

"A second in command," Tim repeated. "You know, in case Captain Nathan is injured and/or assassinated."

Everyone on the team rolled their eyes and groaned.

"Then I guess Lucas will take over," Whitey said, humoring him. He then looked down at his clipboard. "Now—"

"But what if they're both whacked. Then what?"

Whitey sighed. "Tim, this is Tree Hill. The mafia doesn't exist here. And if something should happen, which I find highly unlikely, then I'll figure it out. I can say, however, that in either case you will not be 'second in command.'"

"Aw, man," he complained.

"If there are no more inane questions, let's continue," Whitey stated.

"Insane? I'm not insane," Tim mumbled.

"I'm sure many would beg to differ," Jebar muttered under his breath.

"Not insane, moron. He said inane," Vegas spoke up.

"Oh. Huh?"

Whitey rolled his eyes once more before blowing his whistle. "Just line up on the sidelines already! We're doing suicides. Now!"

* * *

"Oh yeah. Now that's what I call eye candy."

Haley looked over at Brooke. The pair, along with Peyton, was just exiting the girl's locker room. "What?" Haley questioned.

Brooke nodded over towards the court. Haley saw the guys running back and forth from the sidelines. Some of the guys already had their shirts off, including Nathan. Haley soon found herself unable to look away as she watched his muscles tighten and flex as he ran. Her boyfriend was just too sexy when he was practicing.

"Told you," Brooke replied with a beaming smile. "I love being a cheerleader."

"It does have its perks," Peyton agreed while eying Jake.

"Hello, ladies," Brooke greeted as they approached the squad. "Wait a minute, what's going on?"

Haley finally looked away from the court and towards the groups of girls. She had to do a double-take. There were way more girls there stretching than she'd expected.

"I didn't know the squad was so big," Haley whispered to Peyton.

"It isn't," Peyton replied. "These other girls aren't even cheerleaders."

"They're not?" Haley questioned, confused.

"Nice of you join us, _Captain_," Nicki said. As usual, Haley heard the condescension in her tone. She was worried enough about this whole cheerleading thing. The fact that Nicki and Theresa were her squad members didn't help much with her nerves.

"I'm not late," Brooke replied. "And would someone please answer my question. Who are these other girls, and what are they doing here?"

"We're here for tryouts," one of them spoke up. Haley recognized her as Sue Garver. She was short, a little chubby, and had long black hair. Brooke's eyes narrowed, and Haley remembered just how much her friend hated this girl. Apparently, Sue had tried to start a rumor one time that Brooke was pregnant. Haley was surprised Sue actually had the gall to show up for tryouts after trying to pull something like that.

"I didn't plan or announce any tryouts," Brooke said.

"Well, we figured you'd have to sooner or later, since we're one girl short," Theresa explained. "So Nicki and I thought we'd save you a step."

"First of all, I am captain. All decisions and events having to do with this squad must go through me first," Brooke proclaimed. "And second, if you girls had actually bothered to do that, you would've known that tryouts are not necessary, since I've already found a replacement."

"Who?" Nicki challenged.

Brooke wrapped her arm around Haley's shoulders. "Haley."

The squad members and wannabes all laughed. Haley rolled her eyes. _Here we go again_. Why was it everyone had to underestimate her?

"What's so funny?" Peyton asked while folding her arms.

"You can't be serious," Theresa replied.

"Oh, I am," Brooke declared.

Nicki scoffed. "Yeah right. I mean, I've seen her in gym class before. The girl's a total klutz."

"How would you know that? I thought you didn't remember seeing me around," Haley pointed out, throwing Nicki's insult a few days prior back in her face. When she glowered in her direction, Haley knew that she'd gotten her.

"Look, Brooke, Nicki has a point. Haley's not exactly known for her…balance," a skinny blonde spoke up. Haley vaguely remembered her name being Ashley.

"Yeah, it's not fair," Sue complained, throwing Haley a dirty look. "Just because she's dating Nathan Scott and is suddenly part of the 'in-crowd' doesn't mean that she should be getting special treatment." The other girls nodded in agreement.

"She's not," Peyton objected. "Haley spent the entire summer with Brooke and me on a squad that competed in a tournament."

"This wouldn't happen to be at that stupid little summer camp you guys went to, right?" Theresa prodded.

Haley sighed. She was wondering how long it would take Nathan's friends that she'd met earlier to share the information they'd given them. They were the only people they'd told about the camp.

"Actually, yes. It was," Brooke proclaimed. "We totally kicked ass, including Haley here. And if any of you have doubts, I have the whole thing on camera to prove it."

"Brooke—" Haley started to quietly object. The only reason Haley even allowed Brooke to get her on video was because she promised not to show it to anyone else.

"Relax. I've got this," Brooke quickly whispered back. She faced the large group of girls, once again. "But even if I didn't, I'm still captain and what I say goes. So these so-called 'tryouts' are canceled. Those of you officially on my squad can start stretching while the rest of you hit the road."

"But—" Sue began.

"Not gonna happen, Gerber," Brooke cut her off.

"It's Garver."

"Whatever," Brooke said. "Just leave already."

Sue let out a huff of frustration as she and the other girls gathered their things and left the gym.

Haley tried to appear in control and unfazed at the obvious death glares she was receiving. As Haley had foreseen, this was yet another bump in the road since they'd returned to school. Now even more people seemed to be at odds with her. Not that she really cared. She'd never let others define or intimidate her before. The whole debacle with Stacey this past summer could attest to that. And Haley sure as hell wasn't going to start now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, thank you to everyone who took the time to leave me feedback last chapter. As always, it's appreciated. So who's excited for _OTH_ tomorrow night? I know I am! I have to keep reminding myself that it's on at eight o'clock now instead of nine. Oh well, it's on one hour sooner. That works for me. **

**I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. I know there isn't anything major happening just yet, but these beginning chapters are very important. They're setting the foundation for what's to come. I hope you'll enjoy this next one. Please read and tell me what you think. Thanks!**

**

* * *

Chapter 4**

Haley set down her messenger bag behind the main desk in the Tutoring Center. It had been a long week, and she was glad that it was Friday. She had a couple of sessions before she would be able to go home, but Haley didn't mind. No matter how crazy things got, tutoring always managed to take her mind off of it. She had the chance to focus on someone else other than herself.

Her life had gotten even more hectic since cheerleading had started last week. News quickly spread around school that she had taken the final spot on the cheerleading squad. Haley knew that people had attributed it to her being Nathan's girlfriend and Brooke and Peyton's new friend. It wasn't hard to hear the whispers that she was getting special treatment—something she was sure was fueled by Sue Garver and her little band of friends. Every time Haley walked by them she could feel their eyes trying to burn holes into her skull.

Nicki and Theresa hadn't made it much easier. They'd roll their eyes or scoff during practice when Haley was having trouble learning a couple of the dance moves. Brooke had told her not to worry about it. She'd said that the two were just bitches in general, and that she shouldn't take it personally. From what Haley gathered, the pair did like to pick on everyone. She'd watched as Nicki and Theresa humiliated some freshman girl a few days ago. The poor thing had gone running into the bathroom in tears.

Needless to say, the Tutoring Center had become her sanctuary in school now. It was her way of escaping the madness until things finally settled down.

"Hi, Haley," Mrs. Tether greeted. She was the head of the center.

"Hi," Haley replied.

"I've got to run down to the office for a few minutes. Do you think that you could keep an eye on things here until I get back?"

"Sure. No problem. I've got ten minutes before my first session."

"Great. Thank you."

"Sure," she said with a smile. Everything seemed to be under control. The Tutoring Center was relatively quiet. Only the soft voices of tutors and tutees could be heard throughout the room. Haley walked over to the filing cabinet and unlocked it. She needed her first tutee's chart to see where they'd left off the last time. Haley figured she could look it over in advance while she waited for Mrs. Tether to come back.

Haley read through it when she heard someone clear their throat. She looked up from the desk and saw a petite blonde standing in front of her. "Can I help you?" Haley questioned.

"You're Haley James, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm Shelley Simon," she introduced herself. "We had World History last year together."

"Oh, yeah. I remember," Haley stated. She thought the girl looked vaguely familiar.

"I was wondering if you had a minute."

Haley checked her watch. "I've got about seven minutes before my first tutoring session."

"Oh, that's fine."

"Okay. So, what's up? Did you want to sign up to be a tutor or do you need tutoring?" she questioned.

Shelley shook her head. "No. It's nothing like that."

"Okay," Haley said at a loss for words.

"I wanted to talk to you about your relationship with Nathan Scott."

Haley's eyebrows instantly shot up at that. "Oh. Why?"

"I'm not sure if you remember, but I started a club last year called Clean Teens."

"I remember," Haley responded.

Clean Teens was a group of students at their school who'd sworn to remain virgins until they were married—despite that their motto was "virgins for life" for some unknown reason. They wore special rings and shirts everyday that had the club's name on the front and motto on the back. Shelley was currently wearing a jacket, but Haley was sure she had one of those shirts on.

"But I don't get what that has to do with me or my relationship."

"I was actually wondering if you wanted to join us. And before you say anything, just hear me out. I know that we don't know each other very well, but I've seen you around school a lot, Haley. You seem like a good person. And not to make presumptions, but you also seem to be one of the rare people in this school who's actually still…well, _untouched _shall we say."

Haley looked down for a moment as she felt her face turn red at Shelley's words. It's not like she was ashamed of being a virgin, but she didn't know it was that transparent.

"Anyway, my point it is that your virginity is a sacred thing. It's not something that should just be given away. It should be preserved until marriage. And that's what Clean Teens does. It keeps you on the right course. Even if you're not a virgin anymore, there are ways to recommit yourself."

"I'm sorry, but…um…" Haley was so caught off guard by this whole conversation that it was hard to find the right words. "What does this have to do with me?"

"You're dating Nathan Scott, Haley. I'm sure you know about his reputation with women. Everyone does."

"That's in the past," Haley immediately came to his defense. "He's not like that anymore."

"Maybe it seems like that now, but I know his type. I've dated guys like that. They'll say anything to draw in girls like us. Trust me."

"Look, I honestly don't know why you've taken a sudden interest in me and my…" she trialed off. "Never mind. My point is that I'm not you. And my choices and relationship with Nathan are none of your business."

"I understand that. But I don't want to see someone like you make a mistake."

"Someone like me?" she questioned back incredulously.

"Good girls always get hurt when they think they can change the bad boys. I'm just saying that Clean Teens can give you the support you need to stay on the right track," Shelley explained. "You don't want to wait until it's too late."

Haley felt her temper flare up. She couldn't believe the nerve of this girl. "Listen, I don't care what you've heard. You and everyone else don't know a single thing about Nathan. And frankly, this whole conversation is crossing a line."

"I defended guys like that before I saw the truth, too. I expected you to have this reaction," Shelley declared. Haley's whole body shook with anger when she saw the almost pitying look the blonde was presently giving her. "All I'm saying is that no matter what happens, Clean Teens will be here if you change your mind."

"I can guarantee that I won't," Haley gritted out. She was practically seeing red by now.

Shelley sighed before placing a small business card down on the desk. "Just in case."

Haley crumpled it up in her hand and threw it out as she watched Shelley leave. Suddenly, this day couldn't end fast enough.

~***~

Nathan pulled into his driveway that Friday evening. He was absolutely exhausted. With the first game of the season looming closer, Whitey was really pushing them hard. Tim had almost puked from all the running they'd done earlier. As if that wasn't bad enough, their next practice was scheduled for early tomorrow morning. The only thing Nathan felt like doing now was taking a nice hot shower, calling Haley to talk for a while, and then going to bed.

It wasn't until he noticed another car parked in his driveway that he felt his already sore muscles tense. His eyes traveled to the front walkway, and he swore under his breath. Dan was sitting on the stairs, most likely waiting for him.

_Can I ever get a break?_

Nathan parked his SUV and grabbed his bag before getting out of the car. "What do you want, Dad?" he questioned while approaching him.

Dan stood up and smirked. "Hello would be a better way to greet your father."

Nathan just stared at him. He was not in the mood for this.

"I tried to let myself in, but my key wouldn't work."

"That's because Mom changed the locks again," Nathan answered.

"The divorce isn't final. This is still my house."

Nathan sighed. "Dad, if you want to complain about who gets what, then talk to Mom or her lawyer. I don't want to hear it."

"That's not why I stopped by."

"Then could you just hurry it up and tell me?" he asked, annoyed.

"Can the attitude. I may not be around as often, but I'm still your father," he declared in an authoritative voice.

Nathan remained silent, once again, and nodded for his father to go ahead. Lord knows he wouldn't be able to go inside until Dan made his point.

"I want you to stop all this nonsense and come live with me."

He shook his head. "That's not going to happen, Dad."

"I've been there for you all your life, Nathan. More than your mother ever has, and this is how you're going to repay me?"

"See, that's just it, Dad. You never just do something for the greater good. You always expect something in return," Nathan explained. "No matter how 'genuine' it may seem, there are constantly strings attached."

"That's life, son. You're supposed to get back what you give. I've spent my life raising you—making sure that you were taken care of and had the best opportunities. Is it so wrong that I would want all that work rewarded?"

"Most parents do it out of love for their kids. Not for personal gain," he retorted. He refused to let his father guilt him into submission.

"I do love you, son. I want the best for you. But I guarantee that if you live with your mother, everything that I've worked so hard to build will start to slip away. You're a senior this year, Nathan. You've got college and the basketball scouts to think about. You really think your mother can prepare you for any of that?"

"I think she'll do just fine."

"My point exactly. 'Fine' is never acceptable, son. You deserve better, and only I can give it to you."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "I don't know how you can stand in front of me right now like nothing has happened. You're always pushing me too far and too hard. You don't know when to let things go."

"I push you to make you stronger."

"I already am strong, Dad! And even if I wasn't, I don't understand how you making my life a living hell and making me feel like crap all the time would do that," Nathan exclaimed.

"Son—"

"Have you forgotten the shit you pulled this summer and all of the horrible things you've said to me? To Lucas? He's your son, too, you know?"

"_You_ are what matters, Nathan. And I was upset because you're the one who's supposed to shine. If you're allowing Lucas to make the game-winning shot like you did in that tournament, then it takes the spotlight off of you. That's not something you can afford right now."

"Basketball is a team sport, Dad," he reminded him.

"None of those two-bit talents would be anything without you!"

"Whatever," Nathan muttered as he walked around him. "Talking to you is like talking to a wall. Just forget it." He didn't know why he even bothered trying to get his father to see his side of things anymore. It never happened. Dan Scott always remained rigid in his own ways.

Nathan had managed to get his key in the front door when he heard his father call out to him. "Don't make this any harder than it already is," Dan stated.

Nathan scoffed. "I'm the one making things hard?" he questioned incredulously. "You're the one constantly arguing with Mom about everything. You're the one who won't just give her a divorce. If you actually cared about anyone but yourself, you'd sign the damn papers and leave us both alone."

Dan was quiet for a moment, looking at him. Nathan shifted uncomfortably under his father's scrutinizing gaze. "Okay," he finally said.

Nathan gave him a befuddled look. "Okay what?"

"If your mother wants a divorce, I'll give it to her."

"You expect me to believe you?" he challenged. "Just like that, you'll do it?" There had to be a reason for his father's sudden change of heart at the moment. Dan Scott never backed down without a fight or some type of catch.

"Yes. If it's what you both really want, then I'll sign the papers and it'll be all over with," Dan declared. He then added after another moment of silence, "As long as you agree to live with me permanently."

Nathan sighed and shook his head. _I knew it_.

"You'll never change, will you?"

"I'm just a man doing what's right for his family. You are my family, Nathan. Your mother doesn't have to be involved in this anymore. The choice is up to you."

~***~

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Haley answered. Her hold on Nathan's hand tightened as she pulled him along. It was Saturday night, and the two had just finished eating at Karen's Café. Afterward, Haley had suggested that they walk to the next place she had in mind. The night sky was completely clear, revealing the endless amount of stars. She thought they could use the fresh air. Haley didn't know what was going on, but Nathan had seemed to be somewhere else all throughout dinner.

"The Market Street Dock?" Nathan questioned.

"We're almost there," she informed him.

Eventually they came to a halt. Nathan noticed that the large dock was decorated with a string of lights hanging from the large lampposts. There was also a round, wooden table and bench several feet away from the railings. Nathan could see the reflection of the moon on the water perfectly from there.

"This is one of my favorite spots," she stated.

"Really?"

Haley nodded. "Yeah. It's really calm—especially at night. Of course, I never actually walked towards the edge near the railings. I tended to stay back."

Nathan smiled as the memory from this past summer popped into his mind. He'd learned early on that Haley had a fear of docks and murky water. It all started when she almost drowned as a kid. But Nathan had managed to help her overcome that fear. He watched as she proudly walked over towards the railings now and looked down at the water.

"Well, I'm glad to see that that's not the case anymore," he declared, walking up behind her.

Haley turned to face him. "Thanks to you."

He closed the tiny gap between them and touched his lips gently to hers. Haley instinctively wound her arms around his neck to keep him close. When they finally pulled away, she brought one of her hands to his cheek.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Haley quietly questioned.

Nathan frowned. "What?"

"Is something bothering you? It's like you've been somewhere else all night. Unless being with me is boring for you," she adding jokingly.

He cracked a smile. "That's not possible."

"Good," she stated and kissed his mouth once more. "So what's going on?"

"It's my dad," Nathan sighed.

"Let me guess, he's making the divorce even more difficult for your mom."

"Kind of, but not exactly."

Haley waited silently for him to continue. She could see that he was working his way up to it.

"He said that he'd give her the divorce."

"What's the catch?" she asked knowingly. Dan never did anything just out of the goodness of his heart—assuming the man even had one.

"He'll only give it to her if I agree to live with him."

Haley looked at him in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Like a heart attack."

"You're not going to do it, right?" she asked. When he didn't answer, she could feel the worry building within her. "Nathan."

He glanced away from her for a moment to collect his thoughts. Nathan knew that Dan's offer was just another one of his ploys, and he hated to admit that he was actually considering it. "I honestly don't know what to do."

"Nathan, you can't let him have that kind of power over you."

"It's not just about me, Haley. It's my mom," he explained. "She's suffered through enough with my dad. She's been fighting for months to make this divorce official, but Dan won't back down. If I go through with this, she can finally have some peace of mind."

"And what about your peace of mind?" Haley challenged. "Can you honestly tell me that you'd be able to handle living with Dan? That it's something your mom would want for you? Nathan, the whole point of the divorce and the custody battle is so that she can get you away from him."

"No matter what she does, he's never going to stop."

"You don't know that," she said while shaking her head.

"But I do, Hales. My father's been like this his whole life. When he wants something, he'll stop at nothing to get it."

"Which is why you shouldn't go through with this. You give an inch and he'll take a mile. If you give in to him now, Nathan, how much more will he try to take from you later on?"

Nathan sighed. He knew that Haley was right. Dan would take and take and take. Despite what his father promised, none of it would ever be enough. Nathan would completely lose his freedom and will if he moved in with his dad. The situation would be so much more worse than it was now. Nathan would truly have no way out.

"You're right," he admitted. "I just…I want to help my mom. You know?"

Her thumb stroked his cheek as her other hand rubbed his arm soothingly. "I know you do, and I admire that. But you have to do what's right for you, too."

Nathan was quiet for a moment. He leaned is forehead against hers before speaking. "You know, for most of my life I probably would've gone through all of this alone. But then I met you, and I finally found someone that I could depend on when life got like this. I know that you're not used to any of this. Our worlds are so different. But I want you to know how much I appreciate you supporting me. It means a lot, Hales."

"Nathan, you can always talk to me," Haley reassured him. "I love you. And that means that when you need me, I'm here."

"The same goes for me, too. You know that, right?" he said while meeting her gaze.

Haley nodded. "I do," she replied. "Speaking of which, you're not the only one who was made a crazy offer this week."

"Tell me his name, and I'll kill him," he declared.

"Actually, it's a she."

Nathan's eyebrows rose at her words.

"And it's not like that," Haley added with a roll of her eyes. "Do you know Shelley Simon?"

"Shelley Simon?" Nathan muttered to himself. It was a few seconds before he felt some inkling of recognition. "I could be wrong, but is she that Clean Teen freak?"

"That would be the one," Haley confirmed.

"What did she want with you?"

"She asked if I wanted to join her little club."

Nathan laughed. "Not uh."

"Yeah huh. Apparently, she thinks you're going to corrupt me or something. She started spouting off all this stuff about you."

"Like what?"

She hesitated. "Just that you're a bad guy who gets around."

"Look, Hales, I'm not proud of who I was back then, but I would never do anything to—"

Haley shook her head and interrupted, "Nathan, you don't have to explain anything to me. I know that you've changed. I don't care what she thinks."

"It's not just her, though," Nathan pointed out. "Pretty much everyone thinks that about me."

That's what sucked about being popular. Once you created a certain persona and reputation for yourself, that's all everyone would remember about you. It was very hard to break people's perceptions after that.

"Well, who you are and what we do or don't do is none of their business," Haley huffed.

Nathan could see how fired up his girlfriend was and couldn't help noticing how sexy she looked. Haley was one of the very few women he knew who looked good even when they were mad. "Did you tell her that?" he inquired as he leaned in to kiss the crook of her neck.

"O-of course I did," she proclaimed, her voice stammering a bit as Nathan continued to kiss her exposed flesh.

"And what did she say?" His voice was low and muffled against her skin.

Haley's eyes shut momentarily when she felt his tongue flick over her pulse point. "That Clean Teens would be there when I changed my mind." Her reply came out rather breathlessly as he smoothed over the spot with a kiss.

"Will you change your mind?"

He pulled back a little bit, and their eyes met. It wasn't long before her gaze drifted down to his lips. They were so perfect and had an unbelievable talent for making her feel the most amazing things. He just had this way of touching her right down to her soul. The mere thought of not being with Nathan or experiencing his kiss made her heart pound erratically.

"Hales," he prodded.

She clutched him tighter and brought her mouth to hover over his. After a few seconds, she finally kissed him. "Definitely not."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews, guys. They always brighten my day. I'm already loving the new season of _OTH_. Naley and Brulian look great. Quinn and Clayton are really awesome additions, too. I'm already a huge fan of them. Aside from that, I hope you guys like this next chapter. Feedback is always appreciated!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"I hate calculus! When am I ever going to use this?" Brooke exclaimed before placing her head on the table. Haley and Peyton exchanged smiles at the display. It was no secret how much Brooke detested math of any kind.

"You probably won't," Peyton replied.

"My point exactly!"

"But it's nice to have the basics down." Haley spoke up.

"Don't give me that, Traitor Girl."

Haley held her hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying." The trio was in the Tutoring Center. Peyton and Brooke had a free period and decided to visit Haley. The guy she was supposed to be tutoring wasn't in school today so she had some free time, as well.

"You think calculus is bad? Try filling out all these college applications," Peyton stated.

"Ugh, I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me, P. Sawyer."

"I already did most of mine," Haley said.

The two girls stared at her with a mixture of surprise and envy. "You did?" Brooke questioned.

Haley nodded. "Yeah. I did it at the end of last year. Now I just have to send everything in."

"Where are you applying?" Peyton asked.

"Different places."

"Like?" Brooke prodded.

"UNC, North Carolina State, Gilmore, UCLA, NYU, Columbia, Brown, Duke, and Stanford," she listed.

"Okay, now I feel like a lazy ass," Peyton declared.

"Damn, Tutor Girl," Brooke commented. "You sure do aim high, huh? But then again, if I had a perfect GPA, I would, too."

"Well, of all of those, Standford is the one I'd like to go to most. It's always been my dream school."

"What about Nathan?" Peyton inquired.

"What about him?"

"Does he know that you applied to all of those places?"

"He knows of a few of them."

"What about Stanford?" Brooke added. "Did you tell him that that's the school you're leaning towards?"

"No. I mean, school just started a couple of weeks ago. It hasn't really come up," Haley explained. "We've kind of been dealing with other things." When Brooke and Peyton glanced at one another, she asked, "What about you guys? Have you talked to Lucas and Jake about where you want to go?"

"Actually, we have," Brooke answered.

"Oh," Haley mumbled. She could feel even more pressure being added to her already stressful life.

"It's no big deal, Tutor Girl. You've still got a lot of time. It's just better if you kind of get it out of the way now," the brunette suggested.

"Yeah, since Nathan will be applying to places now, too."

Haley smiled sheepishly. "I don't even know where he wants to go," she admitted.

"Duke," Peyton answered. "It's been his dream school since he was, like, five."

"Oh."

"Tutor Girl, I can tell you're getting all nervous. Don't worry about it right now. Just talk to Nathan first and see how things go," Brooke advised.

Haley nodded as she tried to calm herself down. She could worry about this later. "Okay. You're right."

"But since we're speaking of colleges, I kind of had an idea I wanted to throw at you guys," Brooke said.

"What is it?" Peyton inquired.

"I was filling out my own college forms the other day, and I realized that aside from cheerleading, I haven't done many other activities at school," Brooke explained.

Haley stared at her a bit confused. "So?"

"So how am I going to impress the colleges if I haven't done anything academic?"

"Neither have I," Peyton pointed out.

"Yeah, but you're planning on going to art school. You have your strip at _Thud Magazine _that you draw every week, and it gets published," she said. "And you, Tutor Girl, are not only headed towards this whole valedictorian path, but you're also a tutor here and a cheerleader."

"We're all into different things, Brooke," Haley pointed out.

"I know, but I need something more than cheerleading."

"Like what?" Peyton questioned.

Brooke was quiet for a moment before replying, "I was thinking about running for Student Body President." Haley and Peyton were both speechless. "Don't look so surprised, guys."

"It's not that," Peyton denied. "It's just that we didn't know you were into politics or whatever it is the president does."

"Well, I've been thinking about how there are a lot of things I'd like to have changed in this school. I've got some pretty good ideas to make things better. I figure it's worth a shot, right?"

"That sounds great, Brooke. It really does. But Erica Marsh has been president for the last three years in a row. It's going to be tough going up against her," Haley explained. Erica Marsh had been in a few of her classes over the years. The girl was practically a machine when it came to school and her presidential duties.

"Do you think I won't be able to do it?" Brooke replied, a little wounded.

Haley shook her head quickly. "No, that's not what I'm saying at all. I just want to make sure you know what you're up against."

"I do," Brooke assured them. "I've already been thinking of some campaign slogans and things like that. But I was wondering if you guys would be willing to help."

Both Haley and Peyton nodded. "Sure we will," Peyton answered.

"Fabulous!" she proclaimed just as the bell rang.

The three gathered their things before heading out into the hallway. It was then that Haley noticed Shelley watching her as she walked by.

"Hey, Tigger."

"Yeah?"

"If you become president, is there any way that you could declare war on Shelley?" Haley asked.

Brooke followed Haley's gaze and smirked. "The Clean Teen still stalking you?" She'd told them all about her encounter with Shelley before.

"Apparently."

Peyton laughed. "She's so weird. I mean, Clean Teens isn't a bad idea. She just takes it too far. I heard that none of them even date anyone outside of their group."

"And what's really messed up is that Shelley isn't even a virgin," Brooke revealed.

Haley stopped short. "She's not?"

"Nope. I found out from this girl Glenda in my history class that Shelley was a total slut at church camp a couple of summers ago. The girl totally got around, so I don't know why she acts all high and mighty now."

"And she's worried about me?" Haley muttered to herself. "Unbelievable…"

~***~

"Did you finish reading that?" Lucas questioned.

"Hold on a sec," Nathan replied as his gaze remained on the play book in front of him. "Okay, I'm done." He then passed it to Lucas. Whitey had come up with some new plays and had wanted everyone to memorize them for practice later today. Now that he was in study hall, Nathan finally had some free time to look them over.

"This looks good," Lucas commented.

"Yeah, I think it'll work."

"What's up, guys?" a voice said, approaching them. The pair looked up to see Adam and Jebar.

"Hey," Nathan replied as they took the seats in front of them.

"What are you guys doing?" Adam questioned.

"Just looking over some plays," Lucas answered.

"I already read them. They look good," Jebar added.

Nathan opened up another one of his schoolbooks. "What are you guys up to?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Nicki's having a big party at her house this weekend," Adam informed him. "Everyone's going to be there. It's supposed to be insane."

"Oh, okay."

"You're coming, right?" Jebar asked.

Nathan glanced at Lucas and noticed his brother watching him curiously. "Uh, I don't know."

"Come on, man. You already missed the one Theresa threw before school started. You can't not be there for this one. The whole crew is expecting you," Adam explained. "You can even bring that girlfriend of yours. What's her name…Holly?"

"It's Haley," Lucas corrected with slightly narrowed eyes.

Adam laughed. "Sorry. My bad."

"I'll have to see. Haley's pretty busy, and I've got a lot of stuff going on myself," Nathan replied. Based on the slightly annoyed and baffled looks on his friends' faces, he could tell that was not the answer they were hoping for.

Adam stared at him for another moment before smiling. "Yeah right. We'll see you there," he stated and whacked Nathan's shoulder.

"Thanks for the invite, guys," Lucas muttered after they'd gone.

"Don't take it personally. They're not the most considerate people in the world. Besides, Nicki's parties always get broken up by the cops at some point."

"Is that why you're not going?" Lucas questioned. "Because no offense, but I don't think I've ever heard of you turning down a party."

Nathan shrugged. "It gets old fast. Trust me. I just don't feel like being a part of that anymore."

"It's not really Haley's scene, either," Lucas pointed out.

"I know that," Nathan acknowledged. "I don't want her exposed to that either—especially since Nicki's a total bitch to her."

"Yeah, she told me about that."

"What'd she tell you?" Nathan questioned.

"Just that Nicki and Theresa are always making some feeble comments during practice."

"She told me that, too. I told Haley just to ignore them. They get bored fast. They're not even worth it."

"I said the same thing. It just sucks that she has to go through this again. I mean, dealing with Stacey this summer was more than enough. She shouldn't have to put up with stuff like that."

"It's just how it is. There's always a bitch somewhere."

Lucas snorted. "No kidding."

~***~

"Practice is a bitch, isn't it?" Whitey called. The whole team was doubled over, gasping for breath.

"I think I'm going to puke," Jake murmured.

"The reason why they call these sixteen-sixties is because each one of you must run and touch the line sixteen times in sixty seconds," Whitey explained. "Seeing as though a few of you are still lagging behind, we're going to do it again."

Everyone groaned at that.

"Our first game is against Bear Creek in two weeks, and we're going to be ready. I don't want any repeats of last year. So line up."

Nathan wiped the sweat off of his brow as he got ready to run his ass off, yet again. He didn't know how he was going to survive this. Every muscle in his body felt like it was on fire. Whitey blew his whistle, and they all took off, trying to beat the clock this time. Sixty seconds later, Whitey blew his whistle again, signaling that it was time to stop.

"Better. Much better," Whitey told them. "We're going to go over those new plays. But before we do, you boys can have a fifteen-minute break."

"Thank God," Lucas muttered as he grabbed his water bottle. Jake, meanwhile, took a seat on the bench and placed his head in his hands.

"Dude, I can't feel my legs anymore," Tim complained.

"Wow, you boys look like you're in shape," Brooke teased as she, Haley, and Peyton approached them.

"I'm too tired to even refute that," Lucas sighed.

"Jake, are you all right?" Peyton questioned, concerned. She took a seat next to him.

"Just peachy," he replied, his voice sounding garbled since his hands were still covering his face.

"How are you feeling?" Haley asked Nathan. "Your muscles aching yet?" He was the only one not outwardly complaining.

"I'm fine," he answered.

"You sure?"

He nodded even though he was far from fine. He didn't want Haley worrying about him.

"Okay. But just so you know, if you weren't, I was willing to give you a little massage while we're studying for our English quiz tonight," she whispered so only he could hear.

Nathan's eyebrows rose. "Well, I'm not perfect," he backtracked. What was really the harm in his girlfriend knowing the truth?

"Oh, I see," Haley laughed.

"In fact, I was hoping that you could just carry me home after this," he joked while wrapping his arms around her shoulders from behind.

"Nathan!" she exclaimed as he started to put some of his weight on her.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Lucas questioned as the others stared at them.

"Since I'm so tired, Haley offered to carry me home," he explained.

"I did not!" she protested, still laughing.

"Nate, look at her. She's half your size," Tim pointed out. "She won't even make it out of the gym."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "I know that."

"Then why didn't you ask one of us to carry you? I could do it."

Nathan shuddered at the thought. "It was just a joke, Dim."

"Oh."

"That is so wrong," Peyton said while shaking her head.

"Now I really feel sick," Lucas joked.

"You and me both. Oh crap," Brooke muttered once she noticed Theresa making her way towards them.

"While I hate to break up the whole Breakfast Club thing you guys have got going on here, shouldn't we get back to practice?" Theresa suggested. "The squad is getting restless."

Haley looked back over at the girls and saw that most of them were laughing and talking amongst each other. None of them appeared eager to get back to practice—aside from Nicki who looked annoyed. But then again, the girl seemed to have a permanent scowl on her face anyway.

"We still have two more minutes," Brooke replied. "I think they'll survive." Theresa gave her a tight smile before heading back over to Nicki. "I really loathe those two."

Peyton scoffed. "Who doesn't? Did you guys hear about the party at Nicki's this weekend?"

"Some kid told me in gym," Jake answered.

"Yeah, Adam and Jebar filled me in," Nathan spoke up.

"You guys going?"

Nathan shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Me either."

"I don't feel like it," Brooke joined in. "I'd rather not run into the terrible twosome when I don't have to."

Lucas shrugged. "I didn't even get invited."

"I wasn't either," Haley spoke up.

"Actually, you were," Nathan informed her. "The guys said I could bring you along, but I don't really think you'd want to go. Things tend to get really out of hand—especially at Nicki's."

"Yeah, I think I'll pass," she stated. Haley was never really into the partying scene. And like Brooke, she didn't want to see anyone she couldn't stand over the weekend when she didn't have to.

"We should all just do something fun together," Brooke suggested. "Like go to a movie and dinner or something like that."

"Or we could just stay in and play board games," Tim suggested. "I was totally robbed of my victory the last time we played Monopoly."

Everyone couldn't help but smile at the memory of the night they'd stayed in the guys' cabin and played their favorite childhood games. They'd all gotten quite competitive, but it had all been in good fun.

"As far as I remember, you still owe Kat some kids from Life," Peyton teased, causing them all to laugh.

"That was not The Tim's fault!" he defended.

"That's not what Kat says."

"As funny as that is, I really don't want to even think about Tim reproducing," Brooke declared with a disgusted look on her face. "And we have to get back to practice. We'll work out the details later."

Whitey's whistle blew a second after. "Line up on the sidelines, boys."

"Sounds like a plan," Lucas said before following Whitey's instructions.

"Are you coming home with me after this?" Nathan questioned Haley quickly. "Or did you want to stop by my house later?"

"I'll go with you after this if that's okay," Haley replied.

"All right." He gave her a quick kiss and then headed towards the rest of his teammates. He didn't mind being so sore now. Because the worse he felt, the longer Haley would work her magic on him.

~***~

"Nathan, you're supposed to be studying."

"I am studying."

"No, you're not. You're sleeping," Haley declared. Little by little her boyfriend's eyes had started to close once she started massaging his back.

"I'm resting my eyes," he excused. The feeling of Haley's hands on his bare back was wonderful. Not to mention the fact that her hips were straddling his in the process. Her touch and presence were everywhere to him, and he wanted nothing more than to enjoy it for the short time that they had.

Haley just shook her head and continued to knead Nathan's muscles. His skin was so warm and smooth against her hands. His body was completely relaxed. And since he'd had such a tough practice today, she let his blatant disregard for their English quiz tomorrow go for now and kept up her ministrations.

"You're lucky I love you," she commented after a moment or so.

"Don't I know it," he chuckled as the phone began to ring.

"I'll see who it is," Haley said, halting him. She crawled over to his nightstand and looked at the Caller ID on the phone.

"Who is it?"

She sighed. "Dan."

Nathan groaned. "Let it go, then."

Haley returned to her previous position. Before she even touched Nathan, she could tell that he was tense again. She rubbed his back soothingly and slid her hands up over his shoulders. She moved until her body covered his. "Don't worry about him now. Okay?" she whispered in his ear.

Nathan nodded as he grabbed one of her hands and kissed it. Just those simple words out of his girlfriend's mouth managed to, once again, put him at ease. He wasn't going to let his father spoil his time with Haley.

Haley kissed his temple and pulled away to continue massaging his back. "Where does it still hurt the most?" she asked.

"Everywhere," Nathan mumbled.

She smiled. "That doesn't really help me."

"My shoulders are the worst," he answered.

"Now that I can work with."

"Thanks for doing this, Hales," he said softly.

"Sure."

A comfortable silence passed between them. Haley's thoughts returned to earlier that day. Ever since the subject of college had come up with Brooke and Peyton, Haley hadn't been able to shake it from her mind. This year was the most important one of all. They'd be graduating and choosing which schools they'd be attending for the next four years. Essentially, they were picking their futures.

"Nathan," Haley said.

"Hmm?"

"I was just wondering…have you started applying to colleges?"

"I've been filling out the forms, but I haven't sent anything yet," he answered. "By the way, I was wondering if you could look over my admissions essay. I think it needs some tweaking."

"Sure," she replied.

Nathan opened his eyes and frowned. Was he imagining it or did his girlfriend's voice take on a sullen quality? "Hales, are you okay?"

It took her a moment to reply. "I'm fine."

That was enough for Nathan to know that she wasn't. He started to get up.

"Nathan, what are you—"

"What's really going on, Hales?" he interrupted once he was facing her.

She stared at him in confusion. "Nothing. I told you that I was fine."

"And that was a lie," he pointed out. The fact that she was biting her lip right now and fiddling with her hands confirmed his suspicions. Nathan brought his hand to her face and forced her to look up at him. "Talk to me."

She hesitated for a moment. "I was talking to Brooke and Peyton today when the subject of college came up."

"So?"

"So it got me thinking that we've really never talked about that. I mean, I realize that we've never had a reason to before. But now that senior year has started, I think it's important," Haley explained.

"I agree," he said with a nod.

"Peyton said that you've always wanted to go to Duke."

"Yeah, that's true."

"Was there anywhere else you were thinking about?" she inquired.

"Um…well, there were also UNC, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Gilmore, University of Maryland, and maybe UCLA," he listed. "Of course, Duke is my first choice. What about you?"

Haley then proceeded to name all of the places she was considering. With each one, Nathan's eyes seemed to get wider and wider.

"Wow," he said when she was finished.

"Yeah, I know. Some of those schools are really up there."

"You're practically a genius, Hales. I don't think you have to worry about that. And, I mean, we've got at least five schools that we're both applying to," Nathan pointed out. "That's pretty good."

"It is," Haley agreed. "But, um…"

"What?" Nathan questioned with a feeling of foreboding.

"Stanford has always been my first choice."

"Oh." Nathan felt his stomach drop.

Haley sighed and bit her lip nervously. "Two-thousand-seven-hundred-and-ninety-eight miles—that's how far apart our dream schools are."

Nathan took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "Well, then, I'll apply to Stanford, too."

"You will?"

"If it's that important to you, then of course I will. You're already applying to Duke. I think we should have all of our options on the table before making any final decisions."

"I do, too. I know that we've only been dating for four months, but…" she trailed off. Haley could feel her face blushing at what she was about to say. The last thing she wanted was to sound stupid and have him running for the hills.

"But what?"

"Well, I don't know if this is how you feel…and I don't want to sound like a total girl or anything, but…I see a future for us, Nathan."

Nathan moved closer to her on the bed as his hold on her hand tightened. "I do, too, Hales. I love you," he told her. "I've never felt this way about anyone else."

"Good." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Neither have I."

"Look, the way I see it is that we have a while yet before we really have to make any major decisions. So the best we can do is just to start applying now and wait," he explained.

"Okay. That sounds rational."

"So, until then, we shouldn't worry about it," Nathan said while giving her a knowing look.

"I won't. I promise," she replied. Until they knew for sure the places where they'd gotten accepted, Haley was just going to push all of this college stuff to the back of her mind.

Nathan gave her a small smile before leaning in to give her a tender kiss on the lips. A few seconds later, they heard the sound of the front door opening.

"Nathan!" Deb called. "Are you home? I got us some dinner."

"Are you hungry?" Nathan asked Haley once they broke apart.

"Um, yeah. But I don't want to intrude."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Hales, my mom loves you. It won't be a problem." He got up and grabbed his shirt off the end of the bed to put it back on. "Besides, you're like family."

Haley couldn't help the beaming smile that formed on her face at his words. She felt the exact same way.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Hey, loser. What can I get you?" Haley questioned as she wiped down the counter.

She had a shift that night at Karen's Café. The place had been packed an hour ago, but luckily things seemed to be slowing down.

"Do you greet all your customers like that?" Lucas asked, grinning.

"No. Just you," she teased.

He rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks."

"Anytime."

Lucas chuckled before ordering a burger and fries. Haley quickly wrote it down and brought the order into the kitchen.

"So, where's my mom?" Lucas asked when she returned.

"She had to run to the market real quick. I guess we ran out of a certain spice or something."

"Oh. So you're holding down the fort."

"Yup," she answered as another big group of people walked in the door. When Haley recognized who they were, she groaned. "Aw, crap."

"What?" Lucas followed her gaze.

"I do not need this right now."

"Great. It's the Clean Teens," he commented in understanding. She'd told him all about Shelley trying to recruit her these past few weeks. The girl would just not quit.

"This is really not my night," Haley muttered as she grabbed her ordering pad. "I'll be right back." She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down as she approached the group.

"What can I get you guys?" She kept her tone polite.

"Hi, Haley," Shelley greeted brightly.

"Hi," she replied with a strained smile.

"How are things?"

"Good. Busy," she said while gesturing to the café. Shelley and the others seemed to take the hint and finally started ordering. Afterward, Haley informed them that their food would be out in a little while before going to the kitchen. While she was in there, she managed to grab Lucas' food.

"Here you go," she told him and placed the plate on the counter.

Lucas inhaled the scent of his food. "Mmm, thanks. It smells good."

"I know," Haley replied as her stomach gurgled loudly. She flushed from embarrassment.

"Did you eat yet?" Lucas questioned.

She shook her head. "No. Not yet."

"You can have some of mine."

"No, that's okay. I'll just have something when Karen gets back." She thought about it for a moment and stared at his plate. She really was hungry. "Well, maybe I'll just have a couple of fries."

Lucas laughed and pushed the plate so that it was more between them. "So," he began, "how are things with the Clean Teens?"

"Annoying," Haley said while popping a fry into her mouth.

"Well, you have to admit that they sure are dedicated."

"More like psychotic," she muttered.

"And all because you're dating the school's superstar. Aside from the other one, which is me," he added jokingly.

Haley smiled and rolled her eyes dramatically. "You know, you and Nathan really must be brothers, because I have never seen such huge egos."

"We can't help it if we got game."

"My point exactly," she laughed. "And speaking of the game, are you nervous?" The first basketball game of the season was taking place tomorrow night. It was a home game, and the whole school seemed to be buzzing with excitement.

"A little," Lucas admitted. "After everything that happened last season, we have a lot to prove during this one."

"Well, the team seemed really good during practice. And seeing as though you and Nathan are not at each other's throats anymore, I think things will be looking up. Plus, you've got Jake this season, too," she pointed out. They all played so well together. Haley didn't see a reason why they wouldn't be amazing this year.

"Yeah. It should be better," he said. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"You're going to be cheering with the squad tomorrow night. You nervous about that?"

"Um…yeah, pretty much," she declared.

"But it's not as bad as that competition over the summer," Lucas reminded her.

She'd been so scared when Brooke and Peyton made her a part of their squad. With all of the drama going on then, so much had been riding on them winning. Now that they were back in school, Haley still felt that same pressure.

"I don't know. It kind of feels worse."

Lucas frowned. "Why?"

"Come on, Luke. We've gone to school with these people for years. And you know what people have been saying about me around school. Everyone only thinks I'm on the cheerleading squad because of Nathan."

"But you're not."

"I know, but it's not like they care," she explained. "I'm sure everyone's going to be waiting for me to screw up and fall on my ass. And with my luck and coordination, they may just get their wish."

"Well, I think you're going to do great. You totally kicked ass at the summer tournament. You showed up those jerks at the last one, and you'll do it again," he encouraged.

Haley gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Luke."

"You're my best friend, Hales. Would I lie to you?"

She thought about it for a moment. "To make me feel better? Yeah, you would," she laughed.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "For the record, I really think you're going to do awesome."

Haley smiled at him thankfully and noticed a customer calling to her. She went to find out what he wanted and delivered more orders to the tables. Afterward, she hung out some more with Lucas while tidying up the counter. It wasn't long, though, before Shelley was beckoning her towards their table. The bell above the door rang as well, signaling more customers.

"I'll be right back," Haley told Lucas.

"This place is getting really busy. I'll help you until my mom gets back," Lucas stated.

Haley sent him a appreciative look and headed over to Shelley's table. "Was there something else you needed?"

"We'd like dessert," the blonde replied. Haley took their orders again. The whole time she could feel their curious gazes on her. Haley couldn't get away from them fast enough. For the next twenty minutes, neither she nor Lucas got a chance to sit down and relax. Karen eventually returned, which they were thankful for. But the running around continued.

Meanwhile, Haley could feel Shelley and her band of Clean Teens watching her every move. She was relieved when they finally requested the check.

"Hey, Haley," Shelley called after handing her the money.

Haley cringed. _I was so close_, she thought.

"What?" Haley replied.

"We were all thinking about going to a movie and hanging out," the blonde stated. "If your shift is almost over, maybe you'd like to join us. We can wait."

"Thanks for the offer, but I can't. I'm here until nine and then I have plans with Lucas. Sorry."

"Maybe some other time then."

Haley didn't say anything. She just turned around and walked towards the cash register. The Clean Teens were seriously getting on her last nerve.

~***~

"Brooke."

"Just one more thing."

"You've done enough."

"Please!"

"Brooke!" Haley exclaimed when she felt her friend's hands attacking her hair.

"Let me fix this one stubborn strand and then you're done," Brooke explained.

Haley sighed in annoyance. The brunette was clearly in her cheer Nazi mode. The whole squad was in the girl's locker room getting ready. They still had about a half hour before their opening routine and the start of the game.

"There. Now you're perfect," Brooke proclaimed. She was just about to take a seat on the bench beside the lockers when something caught her eye. She sprang up and marched over to Nicki.

"Uh-oh," Peyton muttered next to Haley.

"Nicki, why are you not wearing your cheer bottoms?" she demanded.

"It's not a big deal."

Brooke put her hands on her hips. "Uh, yeah it is. Practically the whole town is out there, and I highly doubt they want to see your lady business."

Haley and Peyton exchanged a look. "She's going commando?" Peyton muttered.

"Can she do that?" Haley whispered back. Brooke was right. Almost everyone in town was here to see the Raven's first game of the season. Not to mention Principal Turner and most of their teachers were sitting in the stands, as well.

"I'm trying something new. And as far as my 'lady business' is concerned, there are plenty of people in town who wouldn't mind a little peek."

"Does that include Ted? You know, your boyfriend," Brooke reminded her.

"He doesn't own me," Nicki countered.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Fine. Do what you want. But if you get caught and thrown off the squad, then don't come crying to me."

"Whatever," Nicki scoffed before turning around to talk with Theresa.

"I swear I'm going to strangle her before the year is done," Brooke murmured under her breath to Haley and Peyton.

"Well, if you do, you might want to wait until after the election," Haley teased. Although, maybe Brooke would get more votes for offing Nicki. Not many people seemed to like her anyway.

"Which reminds me, I signed up the other day. I start campaigning next week."

"That's awesome, Brooke," Peyton replied.

"I know. I'm really excited."

"Hey, Haley," Ashley called as she approached them.

"Yeah?"

"Nathan's outside asking for you."

"Oh. Um, thanks. I'll be right back," she told Peyton and Brooke. Haley felt a little nervous as she made her way out of the locker room. She didn't know why Nathan would need to see her. She hoped nothing was wrong.

"Nathan?" she questioned when she saw him just outside the door.

"Hey." He greeted her with a quick kiss.

"Is something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Did you need me for something?"

"No."

"Oh," she commented. "Well, not that I'm not happy to see you, but what's going on?"

"I just wanted to check on you and see how you're holding up."

"Holding up?"

"You have to cheer in less than fifteen minutes."

"Oh. That."

He brought his hand to her cheek and caressed it. "I know how nervous you can get."

Haley felt her heart melt at the gesture. She stood on her tiptoes and touched her lips to his. "Thank you. That's really sweet."

"So you're okay?" he questioned, making sure. Haley had been working really hard over the past month to be ready. Nathan knew that she was going to do great. He also knew how she sometimes needed that extra little push to get her going.

"Well, I am nervous. But I'm keeping it together," she informed him.

"Good."

"What about you? Shouldn't you be concentrating on the game," she pointed out.

"I am. Whitey already gave us his 'do or die' speech."

"Sounds intense," she joked.

Nathan laughed. "It is."

"Well, you are going to be awesome. And I'll be cheering you on the whole time."

Nathan looked her up and down and smirked. "Now this might be a distraction."

Haley stared at him, unsure. "What will?"

"You in this uniform." Most of Haley's shapely legs and stomach were exposed. And the parts that weren't showing were nicely outlined by the snug fabric. Her usually flowing blonde locks were in a high ponytail. But what really got Nathan was the small blue "23" painted on her left cheek. His jersey number featured on her skin was sexy as hell, and Nathan already knew that this look would just fuel yet another one of his fantasies about her.

"Nathan!" she scolded. The blush was already coloring her cheeks.

"What?"

"You are so bad," she giggled.

"What? It's not my fault my girlfriend's so hot," he teased. Much to his satisfaction, she seemed to redden at his words.

"Well, you don't look so bad yourself." The team's uniforms this year were new. The old ones had been white with blue trim. Now they were black, and Haley couldn't help but notice how handsome her boyfriend looked in that color.

Nathan didn't waste any time pulling her closer and crashing his lips to hers. He knew that people were walking by in the hallway, but he didn't care. They could watch.

It wasn't until someone cleared their throat next to them a couple of moments later that they broke apart. Nathan almost groaned out loud when he saw that it was his father. He felt Haley stiffen in his embrace and held her tighter.

"What do you want, Dad?" Nathan sighed.

"I just wanted to make sure that you're focused on the game," Dan stated. His eyes flashed angrily to Haley. "But I guess not."

"I'm fine, Dad."

"You should be in the locker room."

"I was just in there."

"Then why did you leave?"

"It's none of your business," Nathan snapped.

"I'm your father. Everything you do is my business."

"You're not—"

"Nathan," Haley cut in. She could see that her boyfriend was quickly losing his temper. "It's okay. Why don't you go back? I'm fine."

Nathan stared at her for a few seconds and saw the pleading look she was giving him. He took a deep breath to calm down. "You should go get a seat, Dad, before they all fill up."

"Nathan—" he started to protest.

"I'll go back in a minute," he interjected, his tone firm. His father stared him down for another minute before glaring at Haley. It wasn't until Dan left that Nathan felt himself finally relax.

"I'm sorry about that," he mumbled to her.

"It's not your fault." She kissed his cheek in reassurance. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah."

"Don't even think about him. You just do your best tonight," Haley encouraged.

"Believe it or not, I actually play better when my father is here," he said.

"Some type of sick and twisted lucky charm?" she tried to joke.

"No. More like a gun to the head."

~***~

"What the hell is going on out there?" Whitey exclaimed. There were only a few minutes left in the fourth quarter. The whole team was huddled together on the sidelines, using their last timeout. "We're only ahead by three points when it should be a hell of a lot more than that."

"They're so damn fast," Lucas huffed. "Especially number twelve."

"Then you've got to be faster. Now we've only got a few minutes to finish this. So we're going to use that new play we've been practicing. And, Nathan, I want you keeping an eye out for number twelve, as well. You're all in this together. Everyone got it?" Whitey instructed.

"Yes, Coach," they all replied.

"Good. Now get out there and bring it home."

The team made its way back onto the court. Nathan looked to Lucas who nodded that he was ready. Afterward, Nathan returned his attention to the other team. Bear Creek was good this year. Really good. But he wasn't about to let them take away the Ravens' first win of the season.

Everyone got back into their positions. Bear Creek now had the ball. It was no surprise that number twelve, Gary Ryan, was in control. He was the fastest guy on the team. Nathan kept a close eye on the person he was guarding while making sure Gary was still in his line of sight.

Lucas was guarding him, doing his best to keep up the pace.

"You know, I really hate when games get close like this," Peyton commented.

"Me, too," Haley said. Her stomach was in knots as she watched the guys make their way down the court. It seemed like number twelve was getting closer and closer to the basket.

"Cheer louder, ladies," Brooke ordered the squad. "I can't hear you!"

Haley called Nathan's name, urging him on. It was a few seconds later that the guy Lucas was guarding shot the ball. A large round of groans could be heard rippling through the crowd when it went in.

"Aw, crap," Peyton muttered.

This was not good. The game was now tied.

"Damn it, Luke, you've got to keep up with him!" Nathan exclaimed.

"Well, I don't see you swooping in and doing anything," Lucas retorted.

"I'm not the one who's guarding him."

"That's not what Whitey just said."

"Well, I—"

"Guys, come on," Jake intervened. "Now's not the time."

"Captain Nathan, what are we going to do?" Tim asked.

Nathan rolled his eyes at his friend before saying, "We're doing the play Whitey told us to use. Jake, do you think that you'll be able to get open?"

"Yeah. I can do it."

"Okay, let's do this," Nathan urged. He was given the ball, and the game resumed.

He dribbled the ball as far down the court as he could before getting double teamed. He then passed the ball to Jake. Jake caught the ball and went as far as he could. Nathan tried his best to get open and caught the ball when Jake passed it back. The clock was running down, and all they needed was one more basket to win.

Nathan made it to the three-point line and was about to take a shot when Gary was suddenly in front of him. Nathan could clearly see the basket but wasn't sure about the final shot. Gary was too close to him and could easily steal the ball if he didn't get it up high and out of his hands fast enough. It was then that Nathan noticed Lucas was open. Without a second thought, he quickly passed the ball to him. Lucas caught it easily and immediately took the shot. It wasn't long before the whole gym erupted in cheers as the ball went in.

The whole team crowded around each other to bump fists and slap each other on the back. A moment later, Nathan turned his attention to the sidelines where the cheerleaders were jumping up and down. His eyes locked with Haley, and a smile formed on his face at the wink she sent him. It didn't last long, though, as Nathan's eyes landed on the people in the bleachers. Among them was his father. And based on the livid look on his face, it was obvious that Dan Scott wasn't happy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone, thank you all for the reviews for last chapter. I always love reading your comments. Here's the next installment for you guys. I apologize if the page break is off center. I don't know what's up with the site, but it won't let me center certain things without screwing something else up. So I just left it that way. Anyway, enjoy!**

**

* * *

Chapter 7  
**

"These are so cute, Brooke," Haley complimented. The pair was in the quad with the other candidates running for Student Council. Each person had their own stand and campaign merchandise. Haley really liked Brooke's pins that said "Vote for me, I'm Brooke D."

"Thanks. I came up with the catch phrase all by myself," Brooke declared as her phone rang.

Haley passed out a few more pins to people walking by. There were quite a few people running for president. But from what Haley could see, it seemed like Brooke and Erica Marsh were gaining the most attention. The two also had the tendency to glare at one another every few minutes from their opposing stands. Already Haley knew it was going to be a tight race.

"Haley, could you do me a favor?" Brooke questioned.

"Depends on what it is."

"Peyton has an appointment with her guidance counselor right now so she can't finish putting up my posters. Do you think that you could do it?"

"Uh, sure. But who's going to help you here?"

"I can call Lucas."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

Haley nodded. "Okay. Where is Peyton right now?"

"She's waiting by the gym," Brooke answered.

"All right. Tell her I'm coming now."

"I will."

Haley made her way inside and towards the gym. A couple of minutes later, she spotted Peyton.

"Hey, Haley," Peyton greeted.

"Hey."

"Thank you for doing this. I've got an appointment with my guidance counselor and—"

"No, it's fine. It's my free period, so I'm not missing anything."

"Okay," Peyton said while handing her the posters. "I already did most of the first floor. You just have to do the second one. Oh, and Brooke said she wanted to put some of them in the bathroom stalls."

Haley frowned. "What?"

"I know. I told her that was kind of creepy. But she thinks that it'll make people vote for her since it gives you something to stare at and gets stuck in your head while you're…well, doing your business. And, you know, everyone uses the bathrooms so…"

"Oh. Um…I'll see what I can do."

Peyton laughed. "Yeah. Good luck. I'll see you later."

"Okay," Haley said, smiling. "Bye." She headed towards the stairs to go to the second floor. There were still quite a few posters left to put up. Haley checked her watch. She had about twenty-five minutes before her free period ended.

Haley made her way down the hallway and taped up as many posters as she could. Unfortunately, the walls already featured numerous posters and flyers for other candidates. She would need to put Brooke's up a little higher for it to fit.

"Crap," Haley muttered. She was too short. There was no way that she would be able reach the spot she was aiming for.

"Do you need some help?"

Haley turned to face the familiar voice behind her. "Nathan," she sighed, relieved.

He chuckled. "The last time I checked, Peyton was the one trekking around school putting those up."

"Peyton had an appointment with her guidance counselor. I'm just finishing up the rest," Haley explained. "What are you doing? Don't you have current events right now?"

"I said I had to go to the bathroom. But I just wanted to get out of there for a few minutes. I'm seriously ready to die from boredom."

"You might miss something," she pointed out.

Nathan shrugged indifferently. "Then I'll just watch the news." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. "Besides, I'd rather be with you."

Haley pecked his lips. "Very smooth. But you have to get back to class. I can manage."

"Really? Because you looked like you were coming up a bit short a minute ago," he teased, smirking.

"You think you're so funny," she replied with an amused roll of her eyes.

"I do have my moments." He kissed her again—longer this time.

"Well, I suppose you could help me with just this one," Haley gave in. "But then it's back to class for you, mister."

"Yes m'am," he replied.

She handed him the poster and watched enviously as he placed it above the others with such little effort. He didn't even have to stretch. "Thank you," she said once he was done.

"You're welcome." He turned back to face her. It wasn't long before Haley felt her skin tingling as his hand caressed her cheek. His face moved closer towards hers, and she could feel his breath on her lips.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," she mumbled, the words coming out much weaker than she intended.

"And what is that?" he questioned huskily.

"You just don't want to go back to class."

He didn't reply. Instead, he closed the tiny gap between them. His lips caressed hers softly at first. But as the seconds passed by, the kiss became more urgent and passionate. Nathan's mouth completely took possession of hers. She didn't even realize the posters were slipping out of her fingers as her hands gripped his biceps.

Haley moaned softly when his mouth left hers and went to her neck. Nathan managed to kiss just the right spots, making her knees feel weak beneath her. He then kissed her once more on the lips before finally pulling fully away. Haley's head was hazy as she watched him bend down to pick up the fallen posters with a smirk on his face.

Nathan handed them back to her and kissed her on the forehead. She stared at him in confusion. "Like you said, I've got class," he stated with a wink before walking back in the direction he'd came.

Haley leaned up against the wall behind her and took a deep breath. She quickly looked around to make sure nobody had seen what had just happened. She couldn't even believe it herself. One minute they were putting up posters and the next her boyfriend was practically making out with her in the hallway. Haley had been so caught up in him she hadn't even realized it.

_Damn, he's good_, she thought. Haley took another moment to get her body back under control. She checked her watch and realized she had even less time than before to finish with the posters. She quickly made her way around the rest of the school. Her head was still a bit cloudy, but luckily it didn't take that much concentration to tape paper to a wall.

It was just as she'd finished with the last poster that she felt a tap on her shoulder. _Now what?_ she thought while turning around.

"Hey, Haley."

She recognized the guy as Nathan's friend Adam. "Oh, hi," she replied, surprised. It's not like she'd had any direct contact with him by herself. Usually Nathan was with her if they ever talked.

"How are you?"

"Um… good," she answered. There was a definite awkwardness hanging in the air between them.

"Look, uh, I've heard that you are a tutor," he began. "And I was wondering if you were taking on any more students."

"Um, yeah…I am. One of my tutees is actually doing a lot better so he doesn't have to see me as much. Why?"

"Okay, here's the deal: I suck at math. Calculus to be exact. I'm bombing that class, and it's bringing down my GPA. I can't afford for that to happen or else I'll be kicked off the football team," Adam explained. "Which really wouldn't be good, because football is the only way I'm going to get a full ride to college."

"So you want me to tutor you," Haley concluded.

He nodded. "I heard you're the best."

Haley thought about it for a moment. She didn't really want to tutor Adam. He didn't seem like the nicest guy. In fact, he seemed to act like a jerk most of the times she'd been around him. But at the same time, she couldn't turn down someone who legitimately needed her help. That wouldn't be right. "Okay," she finally answered. "I'll tutor you."

He smiled, relieved. "You will?"

"Sure. But there's just one condition. You have to be willing to put in the time and effort. Good grades don't just magically happen. I'm going to help you, but you have to work for it, too."

"I will," he promised.

"Okay. Uh, why don't you stop by the Tutoring Center after school? We can figure out some kind of schedule."

"Sure," Adam replied. "But there's just one more thing."

Haley stared at him wearily, expecting the worst. "What is it?"

"Can you not tell anyone about this?" he requested. "I'd prefer it if Nathan and everyone else didn't know." It was easy to see that he was embarrassed.

"I won't say anything. And even if you hadn't asked me that now, I still wouldn't have. I never talk about the people I'm tutoring. We usually try to keep it as confidential as possible," Haley informed him.

"Good. Thanks."

"Sure." She gave him a small smile. A second later, it grew silent between them and the awkwardness returned. "Well, I better get go—"

"So, uh, you were really good on Friday," he interrupted.

"What?"

"Everybody's been talking about it."

Haley frowned in confusion. "Talking about what?"

"Your performance with the cheerleaders. You fit right in."

"That's a surprise. The week before everyone was predicting I'd make a fool of myself."

"Well, that's not what they're saying now," he told her.

"Thanks."

"Hi, Haley," some guy said as he passed by them in the hall.

It took her a second to respond back. "Hi."

"Who was that?" Adam asked curiously.

Haley shook her head. "I have no idea." She didn't even remember seeing that kid around school before.

"That sort of comes with the territory," he said with a laugh.

"What territory?" she inquired, still perplexed.

Adam smiled. "Popularity."

~***~

"Damn," Lucas mumbled.

"What?" Nathan questioned as he dropped his gym bag by the door and hung up his jacket.

"This place is huge."

Nathan shrugged. "It's all right." The two had been practicing at the River Court for a couple of hours until it started to get dark. Nathan had then invited Lucas home to watch some game tapes from last season that Whitey wanted them to look over.

"Are you kidding?" Lucas replied.

Nathan walked into the kitchen with Lucas following him. "I guess I never really paid attention to it." He headed towards the fridge. "Did you want a water?"

"Uh, sure."

Nathan tossed him a bottle before grabbing one for himself. Afterward, he made his way into the living room. He took a seat on the couch. Lucas followed suit as his eyes wandered around the room. "What?" Nathan questioned.

"It's just…you could probably fit my whole house into your living room alone," he explained.

Nathan watched Lucas carefully. There was blatant awe in his expression, along with something else. Something that he couldn't quite decipher. And yet, he could sense an underlying sadness, as well. "I'm sure your house is nice," he commented, trying to be sympathetic.

It was difficult. Although they'd reached a common ground this past summer, all this brotherly bonding and friendship was still new to them. This was the first time Lucas had ever been to his house. It made sense that he would be taking it in and comparing it to his own. No doubt trying to comprehend how Dan could raise up one of his families while allowing the other one to fall. Nathan, meanwhile, couldn't help but wonder the opposite. He sometimes found himself wishing that it had been Karen his father chose instead of his mom. He thought often of how different his life would've been. Probably better.

"My mom worked hard to get it," Lucas stated. There was no mistaking the pained edge in his voice.

Nathan nodded in understanding. He then added, "Now my mom's working hard to keep it."

No matter how much he and Lucas talked and tried to get along, the reality was that there always seemed to be that silent division there between them. Each yearning for what the other had.

Lucas shook his head and sighed. "You gotta love Dan."

"Yeah, he's a real saint," Nathan quipped. The two were silent for a moment longer until Nathan finally cleared his throat. "So, uh, we should probably start looking at that tape."

"Yeah."

Nathan retrieved it from his bag and walked back into the living room. He set up the TV and returned to his seat on the couch. They watched the plays and maneuvers intently. Every now and then one of them would make a comment or two.

"It's getting late," Lucas stated once they were finished.

Nathan looked over at the clock. It was almost ten. "Yeah."

He stood up and stretched. "I better be getting home."

"Sure. I'll walk you out."

"When is your mom getting home?" Lucas questioned as he put on his jacket.

"I don't know. Probably not for another hour. Sometimes she works late," he answered.

"Oh. Well, thanks for having me over."

"Yeah. No problem," Nathan replied. There was definitely a sense of awkwardness between them. Eager to have it end, Nathan went to open the door. He stopped dead in his tracks a second later at the sight of his father standing there. His arm was raised, probably just about to knock.

"Nice timing, son," Dan said with his usual smug smile.

Nathan briefly shot a look over to Lucas who was standing tensely beside him. "What do want, Dad? It's late."

"I had something I wanted to talk over with you."

"It couldn't wait?"

Dan shook his head. "It's very important," he declared. His eyes drifted over to Lucas for a second before honing in on Nathan, once again. "And it's private. A family matter."

Lucas scoffed and shook his head. There was no mistaking the glower he sent towards Dan. "I guess that's my cue."

"Luke," Nathan called to him.

Lucas just continued towards his truck in the driveway. "I'll talk to you later, Nate," he replied without turning back around.

Nathan glared at his father. "Was that really necessary?"

At one point, he would've been right behind his father when it came to insulting Lucas. Pushing his brother's buttons had been one of Nathan's favorite pastimes. But now, after getting to know him and seeing how much it actually hurt him, it made Nathan feel nothing but anger and shame.

"The boy should learn not to be so sensitive."

"Or maybe you should learn not to act like such an ass," Nathan fired back.

"Watch it, son," Dan warned.

"What do you want, Dad?" he pushed on. "I'm getting tired of these late-night visits."

"First let me come in. It's cold out here."

"I'd rather you didn't."

"Until the divorce is final, this is still my house."

Nathan shook his head and stepped aside. He didn't feel like getting into this argument yet again with his father—despite the fact that the rebuff was just sitting on the tip of his tongue. "Okay. You're inside. Now what is it you have to tell me?"

"Let's go into the living room."

Nathan gestured for Dan to go first.

"Is this last year's game tape?" Dan questioned, staring at the TV screen.

"It's one of them," he answered.

Dan sat on the couch. "That was against Pontiac. They're better this season."

"Sure," Nathan replied, placating him. He took a seat on the single couch. "Can we get on with it? It's getting late, and I have school tomorrow."

Dan smirked. "Since when do you go to bed before ten?"

"Let's just say I'm turning over a new leaf."

"My idea exactly." Dan's smile widened. "So, have you thought about my offer?"

"What offer?" Nathan replied, knowing full well what his father meant. He just didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"To come live with me."

"Oh. That one."

"Well?" Dan prodded when Nathan didn't answer right away.

"As tempting as living with you sounds," he sarcastically began, "I'm going to pass."

"Really?" Despite his questioning tone, Dan didn't seem all that surprised.

"Yeah."

"That's too bad. I thought for sure you would've wanted to give your mother the freedom she deserves."

"That's up to you, Dad. Not me."

"Sounds kind of selfish."

Nathan smirked sarcastically. "Kind of like the pot calling the kettle black, don't you think?"

Dan stared at him for a long moment and sighed. "Well, I can see that you're pretty set in your decision. It's a shame, really. I was hoping you would do what's right by yourself. But it looks like I have no choice now."

"What are you talking about?" His voice was weary.

"I've noticed changes in you this year, Nathan. And not good ones. I'm worried about you. That you're not following the right path," he explained. "And your game last Friday proved it to me."

"And how's that?" Nathan challenged.

"You're not focused, son. You should've been in the locker room with your team, concentrating on the game. Instead I catch you with that little blonde sucking face in the hall—"

"I was with _Haley_ for a few of minutes at the most," he defended. "Before and after that I was with my teammates preparing."

"Then you were having trouble on the court. Those Bear Creek players were all over you, showing you up."

"They were not. I—"

"And if that wasn't bad enough, you, once again, let Lucas take the last shot."

"I didn't have a clear shot of the basket, Dad!"

"Because you weren't trying hard enough!" Dan asserted. "You punked out and gave him all of the glory. Do you think that's going to get the scouts' attention? Do you think Duke wants some little wimp on their team who can't get open and make the game-winning basket?"

"Not everything is about that, Dad!" Nathan argued.

"Yes, it is! And I'll be damned if I let you continue on this way."

Nathan's gaze was livid. "Oh yeah, and what are you going to do?"

"You're going to live with me, Nathan."

"Like hell I will," he objected. "You can't force me."

"Yes, I can. Either you come and live with me and let me improve your game or…" he trailed off.

"Or you'll what?" Nathan demanded, furious.

"Or I'll end your career myself."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Haley glanced over at Nathan for what must've been the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she could sense that something was off about him today. He'd been very quiet and stoic this morning when the gang had been hanging out by their lockers before class. He'd just barely said hi as he passed her in the hallway earlier. Usually he'd stop and give her a quick kiss or ask how her class went. And now, as they sat next to each other in their English class, he still had yet to say anything to her. All she got was a nod as he walked into the room late.

Even now her boyfriend looked sullen and distant. He was sitting back in his seat, staring off into space. It's not like Nathan always paid attention in class, but there was a bit too much aloofness.

_Something is wrong_, Haley noted.

"And what does Piggy represent, Nathan?" their teacher, Mrs. Phelps, questioned.

Nathan's head turned from looking at the clock to her. "What?"

"Each of the main characters in Lord of the Flies represents something. What does Piggy represent?" Mrs. Phelps repeated.

Nathan shrugged indifferently. "I don't know. Obesity."

A few snickers could be heard from the other students. Haley just looked between him and the teacher, praying Nathan wouldn't get in trouble. Mrs. Phelps didn't like it when students got smart with her.

"No," Mrs. Phelps replied, giving him a hard look. "Try again."

"Ham?"

More snickers.

"Nathan," Haley whispered in warning.

Mrs. Phelps shook her head, unimpressed. "Wrong again. Next guess?"

"I don't know," Nathan declared after a moment. "Maybe you should ask someone else."

"I'm asking you, Nathan. And based upon the ridiculous answers you're giving me, I think it's safe to assume you haven't done the reading I assigned."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I have more important things to do than read some stupid book about kids stranded on an island."

"Nathan," Haley hissed under her breath. She couldn't believe he was actually talking back to their teacher right now.

"I see. Well, then I guess you're going to have to change those important plans of yours to make time for detention this afternoon," Mrs. Phelps stated.

All eyes were on Nathan, awaiting his response. He just shrugged without another word.

"Now, who can tell me the actual answer?" the teacher continued. When nobody raised their hand, Haley finally did. "Yes, Haley."

"Piggy represents logic," she answered.

"Very good. Now…"

The rest of the class couldn't go by quickly enough for Haley. She nearly jumped out of her seat when the bell finally rang. Once they'd gathered their things and were out the door, Haley pulled Nathan aside.

"What was that?" she demanded.

"What was what?" Nathan questioned.

"Nathan, you barely paid attention in class. And then when you were participating, you were rude."

He rolled his eyes. "I didn't know the answer. So what? Mrs. Phelps blew the entire thing out of proportion."

Haley stared at him for a few seconds. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said. But his gaze didn't quite meet hers.

"Are you sure?" Haley pressed. She placed a hand on his chest.

"Yes."

"It just seems like something is bothering you."

"Haley, I said I'm fine. Can we just drop it?" he urged, agitated.

Haley shook her head and sighed at his current bad attitude. "Sure. Whatever. Just forget I even asked." She took off down the hall and made her way to the quad.

"Tutor Girl!" Brooke called.

Haley walked over to their usual lunch table. Everyone else was already sitting down and eating.

"How come you're late?" Brooke asked.

"Something came up. It's no big deal," she answered in dismissal.

"Where's Nathan?" Lucas questioned.

"I don't know."

"Are you all right?" Peyton interjected.

Haley looked up from her lunch and noticed them all staring at her. "_I'm_ fine," she replied.

Brooke seemed to watch her for a moment before asking, "Did you guys get into a fight or something?"

"I—" she started to say, trying to formulate an excuse, when Nathan suddenly arrived.

"Hey, guys," he greeted and took a seat next to Jake. Everyone became quiet and stared at him. "What?"

"It's nothing," Haley spoke up and quickly changed the subject. "So, Brooke, did you do anymore campaigning today?"

"Yes. Oh, and I got an anonymous tip."

"About what?" Peyton inquired.

"Apparently, Erica is going to try to buy the student body with a stand of free coffee and pizza next week."

"Too bad it wasn't this week," Lucas mumbled as he stared at his tray of cafeteria food in disgust.

Brooke glared at him. "Broody!"

"Huh?" he questioned, confused. It dawned on him a moment later. "Oh, you know what I mean."

"Must all guys think with their stomachs?"

"Well, there is another part of their anatomy that often comes into play," Peyton joked, causing them all to laugh.

Jake gave her a wounded look. "Some of us guys do think with our minds, you know?"

"Well, I have yet to see that," Brooke teased. "But, anyway, I need to come up with something that'll get people's attention. Something that will trump food."

"What about little gift bags or something small like that?" Haley suggested.

Brooke shook her head. "I've got something better."

"Which is?" Peyton prodded.

"A kissing booth!"

"Sweet!" Tim declared with his mouth full of food.

Lucas, on the other hand, spat out his soda and started coughing. Haley patted his back to help. "No way in hell!" he exclaimed once he could talk again.

"Are you serious?" Peyton questioned her.

"Well, think about it. It would definitely get attention. And guys around school already stare at me like they want me—"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Real modest, Brooke."

"What? I can't help it that I'm hot."

"I don't care if you're hot or not. You're my girlfriend, and there is no freaking way you're kissing anyone else," Lucas declared.

"You don't own me, Broody. And I need to win this election."

"Find another way, because the kissing booth idea is out."

"But—"

"Brooke," Lucas stated in a stern voice.

"I'm with Lucas, Brooke. A kissing booth probably isn't the best idea," Haley advised. "It might make you look…"

"Look like what?" Brooke asked.

Haley hesitated, not wanting to say the word.

"It'll make you look like a slut," Nathan explained bluntly.

"Nathan." Haley glared in his direction. Clearly his sensitivity was missing, too, today.

"Okay. Fine," Brooke huffed. "But if I lose then you're all to blame."

"We'll come up with something good," Peyton promised.

"Yeah," they all agreed.

Jake changed the subject and started talking about one of his weird teachers. Everyone joined in on the conversation, sharing their own opinions of which teachers they thought were unusual or just completely insane. Every few seconds Haley would glance over at Nathan. He was the only person not talking.

"…Nathan. Nathan," Lucas said, trying to get his attention.

It wasn't until Jake nudged him that he snapped out of it. "Huh?" Nathan replied.

"What's up? Why are you so quiet?"

He seemed to hesitate for a minute. "No reason. I'm just tired."

"It doesn't have anything to do with Dan, does it?" Lucas questioned. "How long did he stay last night?"

"You saw Dan last night?" Haley spoke up. She glanced back and forth between Lucas and Nathan.

"Yeah, Nathan and I were watching game tapes over his house. Just before I left Dan showed up."

"What did he want?" Peyton inquired.

"Probably his soul," Tim joked as he shoved a Twinkie in his mouth.

Nathan shifted uncomfortably. "It was no big deal," he stated. But judging from his tone of voice, Haley could tell that that was a lie.

She turned to Lucas. "Did it look like a friendly visit to you?"

"I said it was nothing," Nathan cut in. "Just drop it."

"Obviously it was something, Nathan, judging by the bad mood you've been in all day," Haley countered. Before, she was angered by Nathan's attitude. Now, knowing that Dan was most likely the cause of it, she was worried.

"I don't know what happened, but it didn't seem like Dan came over just for a good old father-son talk," Lucas said.

"And what the hell would you know about father-son talks?" Nathan bit out harshly. The whole table went silent at his words.

Haley looked over at Lucas. Despite the straight face he had, she could still see the anguish in his eyes. "Nathan," Haley said in a shocked voice. She hadn't heard him be that hostile with Lucas in a long time.

Nathan looked down and sighed. "I'm sorry," he replied, his tone regretful. "I just…I have to go."

Before any of them could respond, he'd already grabbed his things and took off.

~***~

Nathan felt the hot water of the shower soak his skin and sighed. Basketball practice had ended about a half hour ago. Then Whitey had wanted to see him in his office. Nathan hadn't performed to the best of his ability that afternoon. He'd played sloppy, and Whitey had wanted to know what was going on.

Nathan made up some excuse that he wasn't feeling well. It wasn't a complete lie. He didn't feel good. He'd been sick to his stomach and on edge ever since his father's visit last night. It's why he'd been in such an awful mood all day. He didn't mean to be an ass to Haley, Lucas, or his friends. He just felt so helpless and frustrated. Lashing out seemed to be the only way to relieve some of that tension.

Nathan knew it was wrong. It was something the old him would've done. He wasn't that person anymore. He could do better and would. It was just difficult figuring out how to go about handling everything that was being thrown at him.

Nathan remained in the shower for a few more minutes. The hot water relaxed his aching muscles. Once he was done, Nathan grabbed his towel to dry off and headed to his locker. The room was almost completely empty. Most of his teammates had gone home already.

Nathan had just finished putting on his jeans and shirt when he heard a voice behind him.

"You really suck, you know."

He turned around and came face-to-face with Lucas. The guilt from his earlier words surfaced yet again. "I know," he mumbled. "But I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

"That doesn't mean it isn't true."

"You've had Uncle Keith all your life. I'd consider that pretty lucky," Nathan reminded him. His dad's brother may not have been the star of the Scott family, but he was definitely the better person. When Dan had abandoned Karen and Lucas, it was Keith who stepped in to help take care of them. And he'd stood by them ever since. Nathan had always secretly admired his uncle for stepping up like that when his father didn't have the nerve to do it.

"Look, I know that last night was kind of weird," Nathan declared. "It's one thing to get along at summer camp. But we're back in Tree Hill now, and there's still a lot of unresolved history here."

Lucas sighed. "Yeah."

"I know that you think I had this privileged life. And maybe I did when it came to money and material things. But in all honesty, I'd give it all up in a second to have what you had," he revealed.

"And what is that?"

"Freedom. A sense of security. A true family. I know you said that things were hard for your mom, but at least you knew that she always loved you. You knew Uncle Keith would always love you. For the longest time I wasn't sure what I meant to my mom. And as far as my dad is concerned, I don't think I'll ever be able to figure him out."

Lucas ran a hand through his hair and exhaled loudly. "I get that. I do. It's just…it's still hard sometimes. I can't help but wonder 'what if.'"

"Me, too. But at least you're not trapped," Nathan muttered.

"Well, I'm sure your mom will get the divorce eventually."

"Oh, she'll get it," Nathan laughed bitterly. "I just wish it was that easy for me."

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked. "Did something happen last night?"

Nathan slammed his locker shut and took a seat on the nearby bench. Lucas followed suit. "Yeah," he revealed.

"Well, what happened?"

"Dan made me an offer a few weeks ago. He said that he'd give my mom a divorce if I agreed to move into the beach house with him."

"Please tell me you didn't say yes."

Nathan shook his head. "No. I thought about it, though. My mom's been through enough. I figured if I couldn't get away, at least she could."

"At what cost?" Lucas pointed out.

"I know. That's exactly what Haley said when I told her. She didn't think I should do it."

"Well, she's right. You can't let Dan have that kind of control over you."

"Yeah, well, I don't really have a choice now."

Lucas frowned. "Meaning?"

Nathan rubbed his hands over his face. "Dan's forcing me to move in with him anyway."

"What? He can't do that," he objected.

"Oh, he can. Trust me."

"How?"

Nathan was quiet for a moment and took a quick glance around, making sure that nobody was nearby to overhear. "Do you remember when I told you about how I'd taken those performance enhancers last season and collapsed?"

"Yes."

"Dan's using it against me."

"What?" Lucas questioned, still confused.

Nathan could feel his anger building and fists tightening at just the thought of it. "Dan threatened to make the incident public."

"Why would he do that? He knows how much trouble you could get in. You'd probably be thrown off the team and lose any chance of playing college ball."

"Exactly," Nathan clarified. "Whitey knew that I'd screwed up. But he was willing to keep it quiet and give me a second chance. But if the scouts ever find out, I'm ruined. And basketball is pretty much my only shot at getting into a good college."

"That's completely insane!" Lucas exclaimed. "I thought he was obsessed with getting you into the NBA. Why the hell would he jeopardize that?"

"Because he's fucking Dan Scott. And Dan Scott always has to be in control and win." Nathan placed his head in his hands. "It just never ends."

"Well, that explains why you were in such a shitty mood all day," Lucas commented after a few moments.

"Yeah."

"What did Haley say about it?"

"I haven't told her yet. I don't know how to," Nathan admitted. "Taking those drugs definitely wasn't one of my finer moments."

"Look, Nathan, you don't have to worry. I told you before that Haley's not judgmental like that. You've changed. She above everyone else understands that."

"I know. But it doesn't make it any less shameful," he mumbled. Nathan could just picture the disappointed look Haley would have on her face when she found out. He hated that look. The last time she'd stared at him like that had been over the summer when he wouldn't acknowledge their relationship in front of his dad. She'd been hurt, and he'd felt like crap because of it. He didn't want either of them to relive that feeling again.

"We all screw up and make mistakes. What's important is that we learn from them."

"Maybe so," Nathan stated. "But I'm still paying for mine."

~***~

"That's very creative, Haley Bop. But usually you're supposed to eat fish sticks. Not make little log cabins with mash potatoes for grass," Jimmy joked.

"Sorry," she replied before knocking down her creation with her fork.

"I thought it was cute," Lydia commented.

Haley sighed.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Jimmy questioned.

"Nothing."

"Haley Bop, you've been pouting and sulking ever since you got home this afternoon," her mother pointed out. "Something is obviously on your mind."

"It was just a long day," Haley excused, keeping it vague.

"Did something happen with your friends?" Lydia prodded.

She shook her head. "No."

"With Nathan?" Jimmy asked.

At the mention of Nathan, Haley absentmindedly stabbed her fish stick angrily with her fork.

"I think we have a winner," Lydia declared.

Jimmy put down his utensils and sat back in his chair. "Okay, kiddo, let's hear it."

"It's nothing that major."

"Try us," Lydia coaxed.

Haley didn't really feel like talking about it with her parents. But seeing the unrelenting expressions on their faces, she knew she wouldn't be able to get out of it. "He was just in a bad mood all day."

"It must be that time of the month," Jimmy kidded, making Lydia laugh.

"Dad," Haley groaned. She was not in the mood for his constant joking.

"Why was he in a bad mood?" her mother prodded, trying to appear more serious.

"I don't know. Based on what Lucas said, it probably has something to do with his dad."

"Nathan's dad or Lucas' dad?" Jimmy inquired, confused.

"Jimmy, they're brothers. Nathan's dad is Lucas' dad," Lydia reminded him.

"Oh. Right. What a mess."

Lydia looked over at Haley. "Which is why you should always use birth control."

"Mom!" Haley exclaimed, turning red from embarrassment.

"Don't encourage her."

"What? I just want to make sure that she's safe. Nathan's a very attractive boy, Jimmy, and she is at that stage when your hormones are raging. We don't want her winding up pregnant, becoming a hooker to support herself, and smoking crack in the gutter."

"Mom!" Haley shouted again.

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "A little overdramatic, don't you think?"

Lydia took a deliberate bite of her fish stick. "Hey, even the mightiest fall these days."

"Nathan and I are…we're not…I just…I have homework to do," Haley suddenly declared and got up from the table. She really could not handle another awkward sex talk with her parents right now.

"Look, now you scared her off," she heard her father say.

"I'm just keeping it real."

As soon as Haley got to her room, she slammed the door behind her. She went to her desk to grab her iPod, fully intent on drowning out the voices of her parents downstairs, when she heard a tap on her window. She jumped a bit in surprise and whipped around to find the source of the noise.

"Nathan?" He seemed to be balancing on the branch of the tree just outside her window. She quickly walked over and opened it to let him in. "Nathan, what are you doing?"

"I wanted to see you," he answered.

"You could've used the front door, you know?"

"Yeah, but your parents are home. And since it's a school night I figured they wouldn't let me stay that long."

"And why would you need to be here for an extended period of time?" Haley questioned. "Based on your mood today and the way you bit Lucas' head off, it seemed like you were perfectly content with sulking alone."

Nathan flinched. "I know that I acted like a jackass today, and I'm sorry. I already talked to Lucas and straightened everything out."

"So then what are you doing here?" Haley knew that she was being a bit more difficult than necessary. But Nathan had really shocked her today with his behavior, and she didn't know what to think.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry for snapping at you, too. And I wanted to tell you why I acted like that." She was quiet for a couple of minutes, just staring at him. "Please, Hales?"

Haley felt her resolve melt when she saw the sudden vulnerability shining in those piercing blue eyes of his. She thought about how Dan was brought up earlier. It reminded her that she was actually more worried about Nathan than she was angry with him. Haley really did want to know what was going on.

"Okay, fine," she replied and took a seat in the middle of her bed.

Nathan sat across from her. She noticed that his eyes couldn't quite meet hers, which only made her even more anxious to learn the truth. Nathan was always so confident and self-assured. It was odd seeing him acting the opposite.

"Nathan," Haley prodded when he didn't continue.

He took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts. He finally looked up to meet Haley's gaze. This definitely wasn't going to be easy.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Nathan, what's going on? You're making me nervous," Haley commented. He was still sitting silently across from her on the bed and had yet to tell her what was troubling him.

"I…I did…" he trailed off. Why was this so damn hard? He decided to take another approach. "Do you remember that game last season we played against the Cavaliers?"

"Well, no offense, but they all seem the same to me," she admitted. Haley was never a big sports person. The only reason she had gone to the basketball games was to support Lucas being on the team. She never really kept track of anything else.

"It was the one where I broke my dad's scoring record."

"Oh, yeah." She did remember that particular game. At the time, she'd hated to admit it to herself, but Nathan had been playing amazingly. The boy was on fire with all of the baskets he made. "You did great, Nathan."

Nathan sighed. "Actually, not really."

"What do you mean?" Haley questioned, frowning.

"I screwed up. I…"

She could see him struggling with the words and put a comforting hand over his. "You what?"

"I took drugs that night, Hales. Performance enhancers to help my game." When she didn't say anything, he continued. "It was stupid, but I didn't feel like I had any other way out at the time. My dad kept bullying me and saying that I would never break his record. And I had to. I had to prove him wrong for once."

"Did anyone find out?"

Nathan nodded.

Haley felt a sense of dread forming in the pit of her stomach. "Did Dan?"

"I actually collapsed at home after the game."

Her hand tightened around his. "Nathan, oh my God."

"My mom found me and took me to the hospital. When my dad learned of what I'd done, he was furious. Obviously he tried to sweep it under the rug for the scouts. But my mom told Whitey what was going on. I think he was kind of suspicious anyway, since I wasn't acting like myself that night. But he let me have some time off from practice and games."

"I bet your dad loved that," she said sarcastically.

"Oh, he was pissed," Nathan stated. "And as if that wasn't bad enough, he kept throwing it in my face that I really didn't break his record, because I cheated. When my mom saw the bullying get worse and realized that Dan was the reason I almost killed myself in the first place, that's when she filed for a divorce."

"Nathan," Haley muttered. She brought her other hand to his cheek and stroked it. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

Nathan looked into her chocolate brown eyes, amazed. He thought for sure that Haley was going to be disappointed in him. That it might change the way she looked at him from now on. But he couldn't find anything like that of the sort. If anything, she looked concerned and sympathetic.

Nathan let out a nervous laugh. "I thought you were going to be pissed or disappointed in me."

"Why?" she asked, not quite understanding.

"Because I screwed up, Hales. I took drugs and almost died just to prove my father wrong. That's not something to be proud of."

"I'll admit that it was wrong. You shouldn't have done it. And if we'd been dating then and this had happened, I probably would've been sick with worry and maybe a little angry," Haley explained. "But I didn't know you then. And if you ask me, that incident was more of a reflection of your father's faults than yours. Like you said, it was because of your dad pressuring you that you felt like you had no way out."

"I'm still not proud of it," he mumbled.

"But you learned from it." She leaned forward to capture his lips in a tender kiss. "I'm glad you told me. I want you to be able to confide in me, Nathan. No matter what."

Nathan stared at her in awe. "You're amazing. You know that?"

"I have my moments." She smiled.

Nathan ran a hand through her hair and took another nervous breath. "There's more, though."

"What is it?"

"You know how I told you that Dan wanted me to move in with him before?"

"Yes," she answered, unsure of how this fit in with the story he'd just told her.

"Well, I'm going to have to. Move in with him, I mean," he elaborated.

"What? Nathan, why—"

"He's using that incident from last year against me."

Haley's eyes widened in both shock and outrage. "What?!"

"He said that if I don't, then he'll reveal it to the public himself. And I can't let him do that, Hales. Basketball is my only shot at a good college. It's my dream. I can't lose that."

"How can he do that? Who will believe him?" she questioned. "I mean, if it's just him saying it then you and your mom can—"

"Dan's got the test results. The doctor didn't formally write down what happened, but it's not like he could hide that," Nathan explained. "So he's got proof."

Haley shook her head angrily. "What kind of a person does that? What kind of a father does that to his child?!"

"It's Dan. Isn't that explanation enough?"

"You don't deserve this, Nathan. Any of it." She hugged him tightly.

Nathan buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes. He needed her so much right now. Haley was the only thing in his world that ever made sense and brought him comfort.

"You're not going to tell your mom?" she asked softly, already knowing the answer.

"I can't. Dan doesn't want me to. And it's probably a good thing, because my mom will flip. There's nothing she can do to stop this anyway."

Haley pulled back to look at him. "She's going to be mad when you tell her you're moving in with Dan."

"But at least she's getting her divorce," Nathan replied with a shrug. If he had to go along with this, then Nathan sure as hell wanted something good to come out of the deal. That was his only condition before going along with Dan's stupid plan.

"When will you be moving in?"

"This Saturday."

"And when are you telling your mom?"

"Tomorrow."

Haley pulled him into another embrace. "Baby, I'm so sorry."

"I just don't know how I'm going to survive this, Hales," Nathan revealed. Living with his father was his own personal form of hell.

"You will. I know you will," she reassured him. She left a few feather-light kisses on his cheeks and forehead. "You've got me, and you've got your friends. Despite what Dan wants you to think, you're not alone."

He pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was slow and gentle but also full of emotion. "Hales?"

"Hmm," she mumbled without breaking contact.

"Do you think that I could stay with you tonight?"

She broke the kiss and met his pleading gaze. He looked so sad and hopeless. Haley kissed him once more before getting up and walking to the door.

"Hales?" he urged. She motioned for him to give her a minute. She left the room for several moments. Afterward, he could hear her calling something to her parents before she returned. Haley walked back through the door dressed in her pajamas and seemingly ready for bed. She shut the door behind her and turned the lock.

"I don't think they'll bother us," she said and motioned towards the bed. She turned off the main light in the room but kept her small desk lamp on.

Nathan breathed a sigh of relief. He just needed an escape from all of the chaos going on in his life at the moment. And being with Haley in her perfect room and perfect house was a way to do that.

Nathan took off his shoes and socks. He removed his shirt, too, before following Haley's lead and getting under the covers. He then pulled her into his arms and held her close.

"I missed this," she whispered after a little while of comfortable silence. The last time they'd slept together in the same bed had been at camp. Although it had happened only a few times, they had been the best nights of sleep she'd had in her life.

Nathan smiled and kissed her forehead, remembering. "I did, too."

~***~

"Okay, now just finish that last step," Haley instructed.

"Really? That's it?" Adam questioned in surprise.

She nodded and smiled. "Yup. That's it."

Adam did as she said and finished the math problem he was working on. He handed it to Haley to check it over.

"Excellent. You got it right!"

A huge grin spread across Adam's face. "Sweet."

"I told you that it wouldn't be hard once we broke it down."

"If only my teacher taught it this way. I'd be getting an A."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be getting one now," Haley stated as she checked her watch. "Oh, I have to go."

"That's it for today?"

"Yeah, we covered a lot. I don't want to fry your brain," she joked.

Adam laughed. "I think it's too late for that."

Haley smiled as she gathered her things. Adam actually wasn't that bad. Sure, he could sometimes act obnoxious around school. But during the session he paid attention and listened. That's really all that Haley could hope for.

"So, where are you headed?"

"Nathan's house. I have to help him with something."

His eyebrow jolted up. "Really? And what would that be?"

_Okay, I take that back. He is obnoxious._

"It's not like that," she objected when she noticed the look he was giving her. Haley sighed. Why did everyone always assume that just because she was dating Nathan Scott that she was sleeping with him?

"So what is it like?" he goaded.

"None of your business. That's what it's like," she bit out.

Adam laughed. "Relax, Haley. I'm only teasing you."

"Ha ha," she muttered dryly as she slung her messenger bag over her shoulder.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he apologized as he followed her out of the room. "Let me make it up to you. Do you want a ride?"

"No. I'm fine."

"You're a little high on yourself, aren't you? Going around and telling people you're all fine."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Seriously, do all of you jocks use the same recycled lines?" She'd heard Nathan say that to her, too, once before. Although when he'd said it, it had actually been cute. But Adam didn't need to know that.

He chuckled and revealed, "I actually heard Nathan say it once."

"I know."

"But in all seriousness, I can take you to his house. It's no big deal."

"Thanks, but—"

"Haley, you ready?" Lucas called as he walked down the hall towards them.

"Yeah." She turned back to Adam. "I'm all set."

He shrugged. "I guess I'll see you Monday then."

"Yeah."

"Same time?"

"Sure."

"Okay, thanks, Haley." Adam let his gaze wander over to Lucas. He smirked and shook his head before turning around to head in the opposite direction. Haley put her hand on her best friend's shoulder when she saw how tense he was.

"You know, I hate that guy almost as much as I hated Nathan," Lucas mumbled.

"Why?"

"Because he's an ass. Do I need another reason?" he replied and glanced at her questioningly. "What were you doing with him? He wasn't bothering you, was he?"

Haley shook her head. "No," she answered as they started to walk towards the parking lot.

"You still didn't answer my first question," Lucas pointed out a few seconds later.

"I'm not supposed to say anything."

That seemed to pique her best friend's curiosity even more. Haley rolled her eyes when she noticed Lucas wasn't going to let it slide. "Why else would I stay after school on a Friday?

"Oh. You're tutoring him."

"Just don't tell anyone. Adam doesn't want people to know."

"Figures," Lucas snorted as they got into his truck.

"Lucas, I'm serious. Don't say anything."

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"Yeah. I may not be able to stand the guy, but I won't say anything."

"Thank you."

"Sure."

"So, you ready for this?" Haley asked after a moment of silence. They were almost to Nathan's house.

Lucas shrugged. "Are you?"

~***~

"Why are you doing this?"

Nathan flinched when he heard his mother's voice behind him. He didn't turn around. Instead, he just kept filling up the box in front of him. Nathan already knew what she was going say. It's the same thing they'd been arguing about for the last few days when he told his mom that he was moving in with Dan.

"I told you, Mom."

"I know what you told me. But what I'm having trouble with is actually believing it."

Nathan sighed. "I don't know what else you want me to say."

"I want you to tell me what the hell is going on!" Deb angrily exclaimed. "You said you were going to live with me."

"Well, things change," he replied.

"That's my point exactly. Something must've happened for you to do this. What did Dan say to you?"

"Mom, we already went over this. I'm doing this for you. This is the only way that he'll give you a divorce."

_And not ruin my career_, he thought to himself. He felt awful lying to his mom. But his hands were tied right now. There wasn't much more that he could do.

"I'll find another way. You don't have to live with him."

"Don't you get it?" Nathan questioned. "He's never going to stop!"

"Nathan—" she tried again.

"Mom, I'm living with Dad. That's it!"

"Damn it, Nathan, I—"

"Oh…" Both Nathan and Deb looked towards the doorway. "Um, sorry. We rang the doorbell but no one answered. And it was unlocked so…" Haley trailed off.

"We just let ourselves in," Lucas finished.

"But if it's a bad time, we can—" Haley began and gestured to leave.

"No, stay. We're done talking anyways," Nathan declared.

Deb turned sharply to look at him. She then huffed loudly, shook her head, and walked out of the room. Nathan, meanwhile, took a seat on his bed and rubbed his hands over his face.

Haley shared a concerned look with Lucas. She walked over and took a seat next to Nathan. "Are you okay?"

"Does it matter?" he laughed cynically. "It's not like I have a choice in this anyway."

"Maybe your mom's right. Maybe you shouldn't—" Haley quickly motioned for Lucas to be quiet when she noticed the angry and frustrated gaze Nathan was giving him.

"My hands are tied. Do you think I'd be doing this if they weren't?" Didn't they get it? He had no choice in this. Otherwise he never would've agreed to live with his father.

Haley placed a comforting hand on his back. "We understand." She tried to change the subject. This whole move was obviously a sensitive issue. She nodded towards the half empty boxes. "Now, what do you need help with?"

~***~

"Let me help you with those."

"I've got it, Dad."

"Don't be ridiculous, Nathan. You've got a lot of stuff here," Dan said as he reached into the trunk of the SUV and took a large box.

Nathan tried to keep his breathing even. His whole body was tense. He really did not want to be doing this. With each box he carried into the beach house he could feel a piece of his prior freedom slipping away.

"So, I was thinking about painting the living room red," Dan said as they made their way upstairs to Nathan's room. "What do you think?"

"I don't care."

"Come on. I need a second opinion."

"Fine. It sounds great, Dad. I think it's a good color for you," Nathan replied dryly.

_Since you are the devil_, he thought.

Dan smiled. "Excellent. I already bought the paint. I thought we could start on it tonight."

Nathan inwardly groaned and dropped the box down on the floor. "It'd be faster if you just hired painters."

"Well, we haven't had any father-son time in a while. It's time we started making up for that."

_Great. Just great_, Nathan mused. _That's exactly what I want. _

They left his room and continued to unload the boxes. It was about fifteen minutes later before they were finished. Nathan was just about to pick up his phone and call Haley—he needed to hear her voice—when Dan interrupted.

"Nathan, follow me. I have a surprise for you."

"I've been surprised enough, Dad. I don't need anything else," he retorted.

Dan just smiled smugly. "Trust me. You're going to love this one."

Nathan almost snorted at the word "trust." Yeah, like he could really do that after all that had happened. He begrudgingly followed Dan downstairs. They looked like they were headed towards the garage.

Sure enough, it was the garage. It was pitch black until Dan flipped on the lights. It was then that Nathan saw it. Next to his father's car was a sleek, black mustang convertible.

"Do you like it?"

"It's nice, Dad," Nathan replied, humoring him. In truth, the car looked amazing. Nathan had always wanted one. But he didn't want to give his father the satisfaction of knowing that he was impressed.

"It's yours," Dan announced.

Nathan frowned and turned to look at him. "What?"

"I bought it for you. It's a little present to show my appreciation of you coming to live with me."

"You didn't have to, Dad."

Dan shrugged. "I take care of my family."

"I meant that you didn't have to do this, because the only thing that's keeping me here is your blackmail. Otherwise I'd still be living with Mom—whether or not you bought me a car."

Dan just grinned. "You're young now, but you'll understand someday." He handed him the keys. "It's yours, regardless. And you'll need a car like this to get you to school on time."

He turned to leave but halted and quickly whipped back around. "Oh, by the way, I was thinking that we could go for a run. So be ready in about forty-five minutes. We need to get you in better shape before your next game. Verona's been doing well. They're going to be tough."

Nathan ran a hand through his hair and stared at the car again. It was yet another bribe. Just another thing Dan could hold over his head. Nathan clutched the keys tightly in his hand until it hurt. He literally felt sick.


	10. Chapter 10

**As usual, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to review last chapter. I'd also just like to briefly say how proud I was of Haley on Monday night's episode. That was one hell of a bitch slap! That Renee totally had it coming. Even if Haley does go to jail, I still think it was worth it. Anyway, here's the next chapter for you guys. Enjoy and please review!**

**

* * *

Chapter 10**

"Hey," Haley greeted.

Nathan held up his finger, silently asking for a moment.

"Sorry," she mouthed when she noticed that he was on the phone.

"What? Dad…"

Haley rolled her eyes and sighed. _Here we go…_

"I told you…no, I…fine! I'll be there…I said I'll be there," Nathan snapped before hanging up. He then slammed his locker shut and pounded it with his fist for an extra good measure.

Haley unexpectedly jumped and looked around. There were a couple of people still in the hallway that seemed to be staring. She was about to say something but decided against it. Instead, she gave Nathan a few moments to calm down.

It was a couple of minutes later that he spoke. "I'm sorry," he mumbled and looked at her.

She shook her head in dismissal. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. I shouldn't let him get to me like that," Nathan gritted out. It had been just a little over a month since he'd moved in with Dan, and it was slowly driving him crazy. Dan had never been so strict. When he was growing up, Nathan could do pretty much whatever he wanted. But now the exact opposite had been happening. His dad always had to know where he was going and what he was doing. It was like Nathan had to constantly look over his shoulder.

It was getting old and unbearable pretty fast.

"Now what did he say?" Haley questioned, knowing the drill. She felt awful for her boyfriend. He hadn't been himself lately. Nathan always looked so stressed and worn out. As if school, basketball practice, and games weren't enough, Dan had Nathan working out or studying old game tapes whenever he did have a spare minute.

"I can't go out with you guys tonight."

"What's the excuse this time?" she asked. Dan always pulled something to prevent Nathan from going out with her and their friends.

"He said that he wants me in bed early. We have more training to do tomorrow morning."

"He already makes you run everyday," she pointed out. It was a Friday night. Would it kill Dan to let Nathan out of the house and have some fun?

"Yeah, well, apparently that isn't enough."

"This is ridiculous, Nathan. He's running you into the ground." She brought her hand to his face and swiped at the dark circles forming under his eyes.

"And as if that's not bad enough, my mom hasn't been returning my phone calls," he declared. "I think she's still pissed at me."

"You know she's only angry because she doesn't understand what's going on." When Nathan had first moved in with Dan, Deb had tried everything she could to figure out what type of trick her ex-husband was pulling.

The older woman had even approached Haley a few times asking for information. Haley hated lying to Deb and not telling her what she knew. A part of Haley thought that if anyone could help her boyfriend, it would be his mom. But Nathan didn't tell or want her to know the truth, so Haley respected that. She just hoped that nothing bad would come from her silence.

"Did you want to stay over my house tonight?" Haley questioned when he was quiet. It had started to become a habit of Nathan's. Whenever things got really rough between him and his dad, he'd sneak out of the beach house and come to hers. Of course he'd have to get up early and return home before his dad realized this. But it was still a good break for Nathan—even if it didn't last that long.

"I'd like to, but I better not."

"Okay, well, what if I came over your house?" Haley proposed.

Nathan's eyebrow quirked at that. "And how are we going to pull that off? I highly doubt your parents wouldn't notice your absence like mine does."

"I didn't mean to sleep," she laughed. "I meant that I could come over for a couple of hours, and we could hang out. Maybe have dinner."

He gave her a small smile. "It sounds tempting. It really does. But you don't have to do that—especially since my dad is a total ass and will probably—"

"I don't care about him," Haley interrupted. She brought her hand to his face. "I care about you. I don't like seeing you like this. It's not you."

"You know he's going to say something, right?" he questioned, making sure.

"Oh, I expect it. But I can handle it."

Nathan stared at her for a moment and smiled. He leaned down and claimed her lips in a slow, yet heated kiss. "You know, you're really sexy when you get all tough like that."

"Mmm…" she mumbled against his lips. "Just part of my charm."

"So, what time are you coming over?" he inquired.

"Well, I have a shift to work at Karen's. But after seven o'clock I'm free."

"Okay, it's a date," Nathan declared. He smirked when he saw the slight blush of her cheeks. "I'll pick you up."

"What are you going to do until then?"

"I heard Lucas and the guys say they were going to shoot around at the River Court. I might go and join them until you're done." The last thing Nathan wanted to do was hang out at the beach house any longer than necessary. Besides, his dad said he had to be home tonight. He didn't specify right now.

"Good. You haven't been able to do that in a while."

"I know."

~***~

"I can't believe her! I mean, who does that?!"

"Brooke—" Peyton tried to interrupt.

"She's seriously getting on my last damn nerve."

"Brooke."

"And who does she think she is calling me a skank?! Talk about dirty politics. I—"

"Brooke!" Peyton finally shouted.

Nathan and the guys glanced over at the two girls and chuckled. As they played basketball, Peyton and Brooke were supposed to be cheering them on. But Brooke was too busy ranting about Erica Marsh's next attack against her.

"Dude, I don't know how you do it," Tim whispered to Lucas. "She's scary."

Lucas laughed and shook his head. "She just gets really passionate sometimes. It's not that bad."

They all turned to look at Brooke. Peyton had just whispered something to her that they couldn't hear.

Brooke's eyes narrowed. "I don't care, P. Sawyer! She's a…a…slunt!"

Tim gave Lucas a pointed look.

"Like I said, she's just really passionate," Lucas defended. Although from the expression on his face, he seemed grateful not to be the one sitting next to his girlfriend at the moment.

"What is a slunt?" Jake spoke up.

"Think of two very bad words to call a girl, and then combine them," Nathan explained.

Jake appeared confused for a moment before realization set in. "Ohhh. I get it."

"Very creative," Tim joked.

Lucas smiled. "That's Brooke."

"Hey, you guys got room for a few more players?" someone called. They all turned to see Junk, Fergie, Skills, and Mouth approaching them. They were all of Lucas' old friends. Nathan had never met them until after he returned to camp.

He and Lucas had been playing right here at the River Court when the guys showed up. It was definitely an awkward moment. Lucas had had a hard time explaining to them that he and Nathan were actually on good terms now. The guys didn't buy it at first and had given Nathan a hard time. Nathan didn't really blame them. After all, he'd been a total ass to Lucas over the years. Lucas' friends just wanted to make sure that he wasn't trying to pull something else on him. It took some time, but eventually the guys accepted him and invited him to play ball with them.

"Sure. I think Jake and Tim need some help. We're schooling them," Nathan announced.

"Like hell you are. We were going easy on you before, but now the gloves are coming off."

"Uh, Jake, what are you talking about? We're not wearing gloves," Tim pointed out.

All of the guys groaned and rolled their eyes.

"I don't mean literally. It's an expression."

"Oh…huh? I don't get it. Why would you say—?"

"Just forget it, and let's play some damn ball," Skills cut in.

"Do you think it's okay if I go sit with Peyton and Brooke?" Mouth asked.

"Yeah. Why not?" Lucas replied.

"Well, she looks kind of…angry."

Lucas turned to look at Brooke again. Like before, she was venting to Peyton. "Then sit on the other side of Peyton. It's safer."

Mouth laughed nervously. "Got it."

They didn't know how much time had passed. As usual when they all played basketball together, the outside world didn't seem to matter. It was a tough game. But eventually Nathan, Lucas, and Fergie ended up winning. They all bumped fists.

"Nice work, team!" Fergie exclaimed.

"Are you guys finally done now?" Brooke called. "Because, no offense, but P. Sawyer and I are cold and would rather not stay out here all night."

"And I thought we were all supposed to go to a movie tonight," Peyton added.

"Oh crap!" Nathan exclaimed. He pulled out his phone and checked the time. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was only six-thirty.

"What's the matter?" Lucas questioned.

"Nothing. I'm supposed to pick up Haley at seven, and I thought I might've been late."

"You've still got a half hour."

"I know."

"Where is Tutor Girl?" Brooke asked as she, Peyton, and Mouth approached them.

"She's working a shift at the café. But she gets done at seven."

"Why don't we go there first, then?" Peyton suggested. "I'm starving."

"And cold," Brooke added while snuggling up next to Lucas.

"Works for me," Skills spoke up. "I could go for a bacon double cheeseburger right about now. Karen's are da bomb."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "That's really great. But I'm still frozen. So can we please go now?"

"I'll text Kat and tell her to meet us there," Tim stated.

"Glad that's settled. Now let's move, people!" the brunette ordered and led the way towards the cars.

Tim snorted as he dialed the number on his phone. "Someone's cranky."

~***~

"Haley, honey, table two needs more water," Karen stated as she headed into the kitchen.

Haley grabbed the pitcher on the counter. "Got it," she replied.

The café was completely packed with people. Haley was supposed to take her break a half hour ago, but she just couldn't. There were too many people, and they were understaffed. The only other waitress working tonight besides herself was a girl named Gwen. Haley and Gwen had split the room and each served their chosen half.

"Haley," someone called. Haley looked to her left and saw Adam. Ted, Dustin, and Jebar were with him along with a few other jock guys that Haley had recognized around school. And much to her annoyance, Nicki and Theresa were among them.

"One second," she mouthed. After she was finished refilling table two's cups, Haley went back into the kitchen and grabbed another group's order. She delivered it to their table and collected another table's dirty dishes before finally making it over to Adam's group.

"Sorry about the wait," Haley apologized. "It's been crazy all night."

"It's okay," Adam dismissed.

"Or we could just take it out of her tip," Nicki sneered. Theresa smiled in agreement. Haley, meanwhile, resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"But we won't," Adam shot back.

"So what do you guys want…?" Haley began to ask when something caught her eye. She paused.

"Is something wrong?" Ted questioned.

Haley's eyes stayed locked on the pins that the guys seemed to be wearing. "Are those real?"

Jebar frowned. "Are what real?"

"Those pins," Haley said, pointing to them.

Adam looked down and snorted. "Oh. Yeah. Aren't they hilarious? Erica Marsh was passing them out today."

Haley's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe that Brooke's opponent would stoop so low. It literally brought a new meaning to the phrase "dirty politics."

"They're the best damn things I've ever seen," Nicki added.

Haley shook her head. "Or the meanest. That's horrible."

"It's just a joke," Adam stated.

"Well, I'm sure Brooke isn't laughing."

"But I sure am," Theresa giggled. A few of the other guys laughed, too.

"That doesn't make it right," Haley argued. Brooke was her friend. Sure, the girl had a past. But that didn't make it right for someone to use it to exploit or humiliate her. Brooke was different now.

"It's not like it isn't true," Theresa retorted.

Haley eyed the "I Slept With Brooke Davis" pins again. "Brooke's not like that anymore."

"You know who else could have a pin like this?" Nicki spoke up. "Nathan. I mean, I'm sure half the female population in town would be qualified to wear one of these. He's practically Brooke—just in pants." The others snickered in response.

"Yeah, Nathan always did have a way with the ladies," Jebar commented.

"But let me guess, you're gonna tell us that he's changed, too. Right?" Theresa challenged.

Haley could feel her blood boil. She knew the only reason they brought up Nathan's past, too, was to get a rise out of her. Haley resisted the urge to give them the dirtiest look she could muster. Instead, she glanced around the café. She wasn't sure how it was possible, but it seemed to be even busier than before.

Haley lifted up her order pad, once again. "As much as I'd love to stand here all night and refute all of the ways you think you know my boyfriend, I have to get back work," she declared in a firm voice. She sure as hell wasn't going to let them get the best of her. "So what's it going to be?"

When nobody answered, she added, "Or would you like a few more minutes to decide? Although, with the amount of people in here tonight, it might take a bit longer than that."

That seemed to do the trick. Only Nicki and Theresa's eyes remained on her as the guys started shooting out what they wanted. Afterward, she went to the kitchen to put in their order. She then checked the clock on her way back to take care of the other customers. It would be another fifteen minutes before Nathan came to get her. She hoped that some people would leave by then so that the place wasn't so packed. Haley felt bad about leaving Karen and Gwen on their own.

Haley took care of a few more tables before getting the drinks for Adam and his friends. She was dragging her feet practically the whole time. She really, really didn't want to go over there again. But like any other day, she sucked it up and did her job.

"Um, where's our food?" Nicki questioned as Haley placed down her drink.

"It'll be out in a couple of minutes," she replied in the most polite voice she could muster.

Theresa scoffed. "That long?"

"Well, you wouldn't want to be eating your hamburger raw, would you? That's not exactly healthy."

"Excuse me, are you giving me attitude?"

Haley gritted her teeth. "No. I'm just answering your question."

"I guess that's a few more dollars cut from the tip," Nicki muttered, causing a few of the guys and Theresa to snicker.

Haley could feel her patience waning.

"So, Haley, where's Nathan tonight?" Adam asked.

"If she even knows," Nicki mumbled not so subtly.

_Don't flip out, Haley. They're only doing this to get a reaction_, she told herself. Haley quickly glanced at the clock, once again. _Only five minutes has passed. That's it? _Why did time choose moments like these to pass so slowly?

"He's—"

"Hales."

Haley turned around to see Nathan approaching her. _Thank God!_ She hugged him tightly as he leaned down to kiss her.

"You're early."

"Well, Lucas, Fergie, and I schooled the guys on the court pretty quickly," he joked.

"I bet they loved that."

He smirked. "Absolutely not. But that's what made it so great. So, do you think Karen will let you off early or—"

"Hey, Nate, nice to see you, too," Adam spoke up.

Nathan looked behind Haley and frowned. Had Adam and everyone been sitting behind her that whole time? He'd been so focused on Haley that he didn't even notice them.

"Oh, hey, guys," he greeted back.

"We were just asking Haley where you were," he stated. "I'm surprised you were back in the gym tonight. You'd think you'd be sick of it after the practices all week."

"I was at the River Court, actually."

"Since when do you go to the River Court?" Ted questioned.

Nathan didn't miss the looks that passed between the group, or the way Haley tensed next to him. "Whenever I feel like it," he said with a shrug.

"I thought you said that place was for burnouts and losers," Jebar added.

"Well, I was wrong."

They all exchanged looks again.

"So, are you going to join us?" Theresa questioned.

"Yeah, Nate, pull up a chair," Adam urged. He adjusted his Letterman jacket, and it was then that Nathan noticed the pin he was wearing.

_So that's what Brooke is so pissed about_, he realized when he read what it said.

"Why are you wearing those?"

"Wearing what?"

"Those pins. I thought you guys were voting for Brooke," Nathan pointed out.

"We are. But they're still funny," Dustin explained.

"And true," Nicki added. "But your girl Haley here seems to think the opposite."

"She's right. It's not funny. And you sure as hell better not let Brooke see you wearing them, because she's really pissed," Nathan told them. Brooke along with the others were sitting at the opposite side of the café. Nathan hoped to God that she wouldn't walk over and see them. She would flip.

"It's just a joke," Theresa said. "Besides, you're one to talk, Nathan. As we were telling Haley earlier, if someone made these pins for you, half the town's female population would be wearing them."

"But those were some fun and crazy times," Adam, along with the other guys, laughed.

Nathan felt his temper rise. No wonder Haley was so on edge when he walked over. God only knows the kind of crap they'd been telling her. "Yeah, well, I'm not like that anymore," he declared while wrapping an arm around Haley's shoulders. "And neither is Brooke."

"But—" Ted began when Haley interrupted.

"I'm going to go check on your order." She then grabbed Nathan's hand and pulled him away with her. She was sick of talking to them.

"Nice exit," Nathan chuckled.

"Sorry. I've just been dealing with them all night. I honestly just want to leave."

He glanced down at his watch. "Well, lucky you, your shift is over."

Haley checked the big clock behind the counter and saw that he was right. "Thank God. Let me just go talk to Karen."

"I'll be with Luke and the others," Nathan said as he pointed to where their friends were sitting.

Haley nodded. "Okay."

"Is Haley done yet?" Brooke questioned when he reached their table.

"Yeah. She just went to talk to Karen," Nathan answered.

"Hey, guys," Kat greeted as she took the seat next to Tim. "I feel like I haven't seen you guys in forever."

"Because you haven't," Brooke pointed out. "What have you been up to, Kitty Kat? Aside from putting up with Dim over here."

"Hey!" Tim objected as the others laughed. Kat then began to fill them in on what they'd missed.

"What happened over there?" Lucas whispered to Nathan. He automatically knew that Lucas was referring to Adam's table.

"Nothing. They were just trying to get a rise out of me and Haley," he explained. "By the way, whatever you do, don't let Brooke go over there. They're wearing those stupid pins."

Lucas rolled his eyes and sighed. "Great."

"Nathan, are you ready to go?"

Nathan looked up to see Haley standing in front of him. She'd changed and was holding a large brown bag. He stared at her questioningly.

"It's our dinner," she answered. "Karen put something together."

"Wait, you guys aren't eating with us?" Brooke inquired.

"Yeah, I just got here," Kat added.

"My dad wants me home early," Nathan explained.

Lucas frowned. "Again?"

"You hardly ever get to hang out with us anymore," Peyton pointed out.

"I know. I think that's his point."

"No offense, Nate, but your dad's an ass," Tim spoke up.

"Tell me about it."

Lucas turned to Haley. "Are you going with him?"

"Yeah."

"Well, why don't we all go?" Brooke suggested.

"Because my dad will probably flip and try to make my life more of a living hell," Nathan replied.

"It's fine you guys. We'll all hang out some other time," Haley told them. A part of her wished that they could stay with their friends and catch up. But a larger part was eager to have some alone time with Nathan. Dan's strict rules were interfering with their relationship, too.

She and Nathan said goodbye to everyone and headed to his Mustang. "My dad said he might be getting home a little bit later. So we should have some time to ourselves," Nathan informed her as he held the door open for Haley.

Haley smiled. "Sounds perfect."

~***~

"This is just perfect," Nathan muttered under his breath when he saw his father's car in the driveway.

"I thought Dan said he wouldn't be back until later."

"That's what I thought." The excitement of spending a quiet evening with Haley at the beach house quickly drained out of him. Nathan felt his hands grip the steering wheel tighter. "I can take you home if you want, Hales."

"We're not going to still have dinner?"

When he saw the hurt expression on her face, Nathan quickly added, "No. I mean, we can if you want. I just figured that since my dad's home—"

"Nathan," Haley interrupted, "I told you before that I don't care about Dan."

"You sure?"

She nodded and rubbed his arm soothingly. "Positive."

"Okay." Nathan parked his car next to his father's. He got out to help Haley carry their food.

"It smells like…" Haley trailed off once they were inside the house. "…it smells like barbecue."

"Nathan," Dan called. "Is that you?"

"Yeah."

"I'm in the kitchen. You're just in time for dinner."

Nathan led the way down the hallway and into the kitchen. Haley followed closely behind.

"It's nice to see that you're actually home on time for once," Dan stated.

"I thought you were going to be working late."

"Well, it turns out that I didn't have to. What's that in your hands?" he questioned when he noticed the bags. His eyes then traveled to Nathans right, which was where Haley had come to stand. "And what is she doing here?"

"It's takeout, and you remember Haley," Nathan answered.

"I just figured that since you'd be working late that it would be nice if Nathan had someone to eat with," Haley spoke up as Dan gave her the once over. She suppressed the urge to bolt towards the door. She hated when he stared at her with those beady eyes of his.

"Nathan, I told you that I wanted you in bed early tonight," Dan declared. "I didn't realize that I'd also have to specify _alone_."

Nathan's annoyance rose at his father's innuendo. He took a minute to get a handle on his emotions before replying. "She was only going to stay for dinner, Dad."

"Well, I'm here now. So that won't be necessary."

"Mr. Scott—" Haley began when Nathan cut in.

"Dad, Haley's staying for dinner," he proclaimed. "I'll drive her home once we're finished."

"Nathan—"

"Come on, Hales," Nathan ushered her further into the kitchen. He didn't care what his father said. Haley was having dinner with them. And that was final.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"You mind if I join you?"

Haley looked up from her homework and spotted Peyton standing before her. "Sure."

"Thanks."

"No problem." There was barely anyone in the library at the moment. As much as Haley loved the quiet and being surrounded by books, it did tend to get a bit creepy when you're alone. "Are you okay? You look tired."

"That's because Brooke woke me up at the crack of dawn this morning to help her put up the last of the campaign posters. And then she wanted me to hear her speech for the assembly later on today."

All of the Student Council candidates were to address the school and explain why people should vote for them. The ballads would then be cast at the end of the day. A lot of students were looking forward to it—mostly because it got them out of class for an hour or two.

"Oh yeah, how's she doing with that? Is she nervous?"

Peyton nodded. "Yeah. She's never done anything like this before."

"But she's Brooke," Haley pointed out. "I'm sure she'll do well."

"I know that Lucas has been helping her practice."

"Lucas is great with words and speeches."

Peyton smiled. "Honestly, I don't even care what the rest of them say. As long as I get out of my stupid French class."

"You and everybody else," Haley joked back.

"What class will you be in?"

"Nathan and I have English that period."

"Speaking of Nathan, did you see him at all this weekend?"

"Besides at the game on Friday, no. But I talked to him a couple of times on the phone."

"It's so weird that he's never around. It's like Dan has him on lockdown."

"He pretty much does."

"Well, at least you guys had dinner together on Friday."

Haley sighed and rolled her eyes. "Not alone."

"Why? What happened?"

"Dan came home early. Well, he was actually there before us."

"Ugh. How did it go?"

Haley laughed wryly. "Not good."

_Haley pulled out the food they'd brought back from Karen's as Nathan grabbed a couple of plates, glasses, and utensils. He set them down on the island. Meanwhile, Dan eyed them carefully._

"_You're not having any barbecue chicken?" Dan questioned Nathan._

"_I'll have it tomorrow night," Nathan answered._

"_And where did this food come from? It must be a culinary masterpiece for you to pass up my chicken."_

"_Karen's Café," Haley spoke up proudly. Karen was the best cook she knew. And judging by the sour look that formed on Dan's face at the moment, she knew that he couldn't protest. _

"_Oh." _

"_Hales, what do you want to drink?" Nathan questioned while opening the fridge._

"_Um, a bottled water is fine."_

"_Why don't you hand me a beer while you're at it," Dan added as he made himself a plate. Haley noticed him hesitate by the bag of fries they'd brought from Karen's. His hand reached out only for a second before pulling back quickly. _

_Haley smiled to herself. It looked like even Dan Scott was having a bit of trouble resisting. Of course he wouldn't give in, though. _

_Nathan placed everyone's drinks down and took his seat in between his father and Haley. _

_Haley handed Nathan the plate of food she'd made for him. "Here."_

"_Thanks." The two began to chat quietly between themselves as they ate. It was about ten minutes into their conversation that Dan interrupted. _

"_So, Nathan, how was practice today?"_

_Nathan looked down at his plate. "There was no practice."_

"_But you guys have a game tomorrow night."_

"_I know."_

"_So doesn't Whitey want you to prepare?"_

"_He had a doctor's appointment. He couldn't cancel, so he gave us the day off."_

_Haley watched as Dan rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I can't believe the school board is still letting that old man coach you kids. He's practically falling apart."_

"_It doesn't change the fact that he's a good coach."_

"_That remains to be seen. He's never won a state championship." _

"_He could have," Nathan stated while giving his father a pointed look. Dan's eyes narrowed. _

_Haley stared between the two of them in confusion. At least until she remembered the story Nathan had told her once about Whitey making it to the finals when his father was on the team. It had all been for nothing. Dan had gotten into a disagreement with Whitey over which final play they should use. In the end, Dan walked off the court to teach Whitey a lesson. It was because of him that the Ravens lost the game. _

_Haley could feel the tension in the air and decided to cut in. "Well, they've all been working really hard. I'm sure they'll make it this year."_

_Dan's gaze shifted to her. "You think so?"_

"_Yes," she replied. _

"_Tell me something, are you a basketball expert?"_

_Haley frowned. "Um, no but—"_

"_And do you have a good understanding of the rules of the game?"_

"_I know some things but—" she tried to answer when he interjected again._

"_Have you ever played it or coached anyone yourself?"_

"_Well, no—"_

"_Then I believe it's logical to assume that you have no idea what you're talking about," Dan declared. He chuckled and gave her a pitying look. "No wonder you're a cheerleader. It doesn't take that much brain power to wave pompoms."_

_Haley felt the anger building inside of her at his insult. She noticed Nathan about to speak up, but she beat him to it. "It doesn't take that much brain power to put a ball through a hoop either," she retorted. _

"_No. But it does take skill, which you probably don't have."_

"_Dad—" _

"_Just because I may not be good at sports doesn't mean that I'm stupid," Haley defended. "I have skills in lots of other things."_

_Dan smirked. "I'm sure you do." There was no missing the sarcasm and innuendo dripping from his voice._

"_Dad, leave her alone," Nathan ordered._

"_What? I'm just trying to learn more about your flavor of the month. I guess I see why you like her. She's got some spunk," he said and shrugged. "But I still prefer Peyton. At least she was pleasant—especially in the morning."_

_The pure lividness was now rushing through her veins, and Haley did everything in her power to keep her cool. She knew that Dan was just trying to get a rise out of her. It also made her feel a bit sad. She'd only been here for forty-five minutes or so. Poor Nathan was stuck here permanently with his jackass of a father. He'd told her the stories, but she had no idea how Nathan could put up with this on a regular basis. _

"_Dad, seriously, cut it out." Nathan's voice was severe as his fist hit the countertop, causing Haley to jump slightly. Although she seemed able to hold it together, Nathan was far from being composed. _

_Dan just laughed and stood up. "Don't get so worked up, son. It's not good for the heart." He walked over to the sink and placed down his empty dish. "And as fun as this has been, I'm afraid the night is over. We've got some training to do early tomorrow morning for your game."_

_Nathan checked his watch. "It's only eight o'clock, Dad."_

"_I want you in bed early. And seeing as though you have to take Holly here home, you should leave now."_

"_It's Haley."_

"_Whatever. It won't matter in another month," he stated and turned to look at Haley. "Boys get bored so easily. Right, Nathan?" _

"_Dad!"_

"_Enjoy the rest of your meal," he said with a conceited smile and left the kitchen. _

_Haley watched Nathan carefully as he stared after his father. There was no missing the fire that was burning in his eyes. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Nathan."_

_He shook his head and moved to stand up. "He can't talk to you that way. I won't let him."_

"_Nathan, don't. Just leave it." Her hand slid from his shoulder to his arm so that she could keep him in place._

"_Haley, he—"_

"_I don't care."  
_

"_But—"_

"_Nathan." She brought her other hand to his face and forced him to look at her. "We talked about this. I don't care, remember? Honestly, just let it go." She touched her lips to his. "Okay?"_

_He was silent for a moment before finally nodding in assent. "Okay." He glanced at her plate. "Are you finished?"_

"_Yeah."_

_Nathan kissed her gently once more and stood up. "Then come on. I'll drive you home." _

"So what happened after that?' Peyton questioned once Haley had finished telling her about the dinner from hell.

"Nothing. Nathan was pretty much silent when he drove me home."

"I don't know why Nathan keeps letting Dan get to him. He knows his father likes to push his and everyone else's buttons."

"It's not that simple. I just got a taste of what it's like for him," Haley explained. "Having someone constantly looking over your shoulder and instigating you like that must be so frustrating."

"Well, the divorce is going to go through. Why doesn't he just move back in with his mom now?" Peyton inquired. "I mean, Nathan only went to live with Dan so the bastard would leave her alone."

"Trust me, if it was that simple, he'd leave."

"So what's stopping him?"

Haley hesitated for a moment. Only she and Lucas knew about the drugs and Nathan's collapse last season. Nathan didn't want anyone else to know, so they hadn't said anything to the rest of the group. As much as she'd liked to tell Peyton the truth, she had to respect her boyfriend's wishes. "Honestly, it's complicated. I can't really get that into it. We just all have to be there for him right now."

"Sure. Okay."

Haley gave Peyton a small smile and returned her focus to her homework.

"Hey, Haley?" Peyton muttered.

"Yeah?"

"I know this all seems hard now, but it'll get better."

Haley sighed. "I want so badly to believe that."

"You should believe it."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because he has you. I've known Nathan for a while. And if he was like before, he'd be in even worse shape right now. You're the best thing that's happened to Nathan, Haley. He's finally acting like the good, strong guy I always knew that he could be."

Haley smiled shyly at the compliment. "I don't know if I can take credit for that. Nathan's the person he is now, because he wants to be."

"Maybe so. But he didn't want to be that person until you came along," she pointed out. "Trust in that. He'll get through this—especially if he has you."

~***~

"What's the matter?" Nathan questioned when Lucas sighed.

"It's nothing. Brooke just texted me."

"And?"

"She's a little nervous about the assembly later on. She wants to know if I can help her practice her speech again."

"Right now?"

"Yeah."

Nathan shot a glance over to their teacher who was in charge of watching study hall. "How are you going to manage that? Mr. Jones is never going to let you leave." The guy could be a total hard ass.

Lucas shrugged. "I don't know."

"Why doesn't Brooke come here? I'm sure she could sneak in without anyone noticing."

"She probably could," he said with a smile and began texing her back. "So?"

Nathan lifted his head up from the book he was reading. "What?"

"Are you going to tell me how Friday went or what?"

"Not well, if you can imagine that."

"What happened?"

"Long story short, Dan was a jackass."

"Is that why you weren't around at all this weekend, either?" Lucas questioned.

"Yeah."

_Nathan could feel his muscles tightening as the burning sensation in his legs intensified. He'd been running for the last hour and a half with Dan around the neighborhood. It was another ten minutes before they finally slowed down. _

"_Not bad. At least you weren't lagging behind like before," Dan commented._

_Nathan rolled his eyes. He could easily outrun his father if he wanted to. He just stayed behind him, because he knew his dad would burst into a competitive fit if he didn't let him lead. _

"_I'm sure after all this training you'll do better at tonight's game."_

_Nathan didn't say anything. Instead, he took a few large gulps from his water bottle._

"_And I want you to stay in the locker room. You don't have any time for pre-game chats with Hades."_

"_For the hundredth time, it's _Haley_, Dad," Nathan corrected him._

"_Whatever. It doesn't matter."_

"_Yes, it does," he argued. He was so sick and tired of his father minimizing his relationship with Haley. He acted like it was nothing, which was completely untrue. _

"_Nathan, you have more important things in your life to worry about besides some girl." _

"_She's not just some girl. And what we have is not some fling. I love her."_

_Dan snorted. "How sweet."_

"_I'm serious." He could feel his frustration building._

"_Trust me, son. Love fades with time," Dan declared. "But your love and skill for the game will always be there. You don't want to jeopardize that. The minute you forget what you're striving for is when all hell breaks loose. The next thing you know you're staring down the empty barrel of a life that you don't want."_

_Nathan shook his head. "That's you, Dad. Not me."_

"_History has a way of repeating itself. I don't want that for you, Nathan. This girl is just like all the others. She sees that you're going places and just wants to hop on the bandwagon for a free ride."_

"_No, she doesn't. Haley is number one in our class, Dad. She's like a freaking genius. She has plenty of opportunities herself." _

"_But she's not going to the NBA now, is she?"_

"_Dad—" _

"_Look, I know how these women operate. Just don't get her pregnant. Okay?"_

"_Damn it, Dad, she's not like that. We're not even…forget it." He did _not_ want to talk about this with Dan._

_Dan's interest, however, seemed to pique at that. "You're not what?"_

"_I said forget it. It's none of your business," he snapped._

"_Oh, so she's one of _those_," Dan said as his grin widened. _

_Nathan stared at him in confusion while trying to keep his temper in check. _

"_She's holding out."_

"_Dad, I mean it. Drop it." _

_Dan laughed. "I don't know which is worse: the threat of pregnancy or the fact that her not giving you any is driving you crazy. No wonder your concentration has been off."_

"_It's not like that either. I don't even know why I bother talking to you about anything," Nathan gritted out. "You always manage to spin everything into something that it's not." He turned around and headed back towards the house. He couldn't stand to be near his dad a second longer._

"How did you not punch him after that?" Lucas asked once Nathan had finished explaining.

"Oh, I was tempted. Believe me." His father just didn't understand. Everything was one thing or another with him. There could never be any middle ground. And Nathan sure as hell didn't like the way Dan was talking about Haley. She was so different from any of the others he'd been involved with. Issues that he may have had with those other girls didn't matter with Haley.

"Tempted to what?" The pair glanced up to see Brooke standing in front of them.

"Um, nothing," Lucas excused and pushed a chair out for her to sit. "You made it."

Brooke laughed and flicked her hand casually. "Sneaking in here was a piece of cake…unlike this speech."

"Well, Davis, let's hear it," Nathan urged, welcoming the change in subject. He didn't want to talk about his father anymore. It seemed like it was all he did lately. He could definitely use a break.

~***~

"I love assemblies."

Haley smiled and rolled her eyes at her boyfriend as they took their seats in the auditorium. "You are so anti-school it's not even funny," she teased.

Nathan smirked. "Says the nerd."

"Whatever, jock." Her grin widened when Nathan nudged her playfully. She was glad to see that he was in a better mood this afternoon. "But you do realize that we have to sit through like ten speeches, right?"

"Or we could just make out during them."

"In a full and completely lit auditorium? Yeah, that's going to happen," she laughed sarcastically.

He shrugged innocently. "It was just a suggestion."

"Oh, in that case, no." Haley looked around. There were still empty sections of seats as more classes began to file in. She tried to spot Lucas, Peyton, or Jake but couldn't find them. When Haley finally glanced across the aisle to her right, she quickly looked away.

"What?" Nathan questioned, noticing.

"It's nothing."

He looked over and saw exactly why Haley had turned away so quickly. Shelley Simon and a bunch of her Clean Teen friends were right across from them. A few were staring in their direction.

"Nathan, don't look," Haley hissed under her breath.

"Are they still bothering you?"

"A little. They keep slipping these flyers for Clean Teen meetings into my locker."

"You want me to talk to them."

"Nathan, please don't" she quickly replied. Haley could already see the wheels turning in that head of his.

"It'll just be a friendly chat."

She gave him a disbelieving look.

"What? I can be civil with people, you know." However, civility didn't always have to translate into being completely nice. Nathan didn't want anyone bothering Haley. And if those Clean Teen freaks didn't quit it, it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'd prefer if you didn't. At this point, the best thing to do is ignore them."

Nathan nodded and didn't say anything further. He just took her hand in his and leaned in for a quick kiss.

"Hey, Nate, Haley," Adam greeted as came to sit next to them. Dustin, Ted, and Jebar were right behind him.

Nathan reluctantly looked away from Haley to his friends. "Hey," he replied back. They all bumped fists.

"I love getting out of class," Dustin declared.

"This is going to be boring as hell, though," Jebar spoke up.

Ted shook his head. "No shit."

"So, Nathan, you got any plans for the weekend?" Adam questioned.

"Not that I know of right now. Why?"

"I'm having a party at my beach house on Friday," Ted answered. "It's going to be sick. My older brother from college is smuggling in all the booze for us."

Nathan shrugged. "I don't know." He wasn't in a partying mood lately.

"Come on, Nate. You have to come," Adam declared. "I don't think you've been at one party yet this year."

Jebar nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Who are you and what have you done with the old Nathan Scott?"

"I've just been busy. That's all." He evaded the question. Nathan knew that he'd been distancing himself from them lately.

"Well, Haley, you can come if you want. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun," Adam stated with a wink.

Nathan frowned at that, a little bothered.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, getting a bit flustered at being put on the spot. She then looked to Nathan.

Adam seemed to notice this. "What? You need Scott's permission or something?"

"N-no," she stumbled a bit. "I, um, well it's not—"

"It's not her thing," Nathan spoke up.

"You haven't been to any, right? You'll probably like it," Ted added.

"Yeah, you never know. It's always the quiet ones," Jebar joked, causing the other guys to laugh.

Haley noticed Nathan's fists tighten and quickly put her hand over his. She ran her fingers over his knuckles, trying to subtly let him know to calm down. It seemed to work a little. His hand started to relax after a moment or so.

"We'll let you know," Nathan said to them. His voice was even yet hard. Like hell he would ever let Haley go to one of his friends' parties alone.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Brooke, no."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes, Tutor Girl. You have to! This would look so cute on you."

"Brooke, I cannot wear a halter top. It's fall!" Haley complained.

"So? It's a party, Haley. You're expected to show a little skin no matter what the season. Besides, this is a fall halter top," the brunette informed her. "Do you actually think that I'd make you wear something that was last season?"

"Whatever. I'm still not wearing it," she declared stubbornly.

"Oh, come on, Haley," Kat encouraged. "Just try it. You'll look so hot."

Peyton nodded in agreement. "Nathan will have a fit."

Haley huffed, annoyed. _I knew coming here was bad idea._ The girls were all at Brooke's house getting ready for Ted's party in a couple of hours. Now Haley was starting to regret her decision—about both the party and letting Brooke dress her.

It was one of the rare weekends when Nathan was actually allowed out of the house. Nathan had wanted to spend the evening with her. It sounded like a great idea. But Haley had noticed the way Nathan's friends seemed to be getting frustrated with him. Nathan had yet to go to one party they'd thrown since the school year began. Not wanting to cause anymore unnecessary drama, Haley suggested that they go this time.

Of course the rest of their friends wanted to come, too. They very rarely got a chance to hang out all together anymore. Plus, with Brooke winning the election, they had a lot to celebrate. They were all so proud of her.

"Haley," Brooke urged.

Haley eyed the halter top. It was black with a silk, v-neck bodice. The rest of the material was knit and ribbed, which extended down the torso. Then, around the waist, was a small black belt. Haley had to admit that it looked edgy and sexy. She just wasn't sure that it was her.

"We made you look hot at that dance during the summer, didn't we?" Kat reminded her. "What makes you think we'll steer you wrong now?"

_Crap_, Haley inwardly cursed. The girl did have a point.

"I'll try it on," Haley amended after a moment. "But I'm not agreeing to anything."

Brooke's entire face lit up with glee. "Fabulous!"

Haley rolled her eyes. Of course Brooke took that as a yes. She looked over at Peyton and saw the blonde laughing softly to herself. Haley held out her hands. "Just give me the damn thing." She then headed into Brooke's bathroom.

"Don't forget these," Kat said, knocking on the door. Haley cracked it open and took the pair of dark blue skinny jeans and black heels she was holding out to her. She quickly got changed and stared at herself in the mirror. Haley hated to admit it, but she did look good. Really good in the outfit they'd chosen for her.

"Haley," Peyton called through the door. "You decent yet?'

"Maybe."

"Come on out, kitten," Brooke cooed.

"Yeah, we want to see," Kat added.

Haley inhaled deeply before opening the door. Her friends' smiles widened as they took her in.

"Oh my God, you look so sexy!" Brooke exclaimed.

Peyton and Kat nodded in agreement. "Nathan's going to die when he sees you in that," the blonde commented.

"All she needs is the right makeup, and it'll be perfect," Kat stated.

"You don't think it shows a bit too much cleavage," Haley spoke up, uncertain.

Brooke grinned mischievously. "That's the best part."

~***~

"Where the hell are they?" Lucas questioned as he checked his watch.

"All four of them are getting ready together. You know it's going to be a while," Jake told him.

Nathan looked past his friends towards the front door. The girls were supposed to meet them at the party about fifteen minutes ago. It was only nine-thirty, but the place was packed. The guys had opted to stay in the living room so they had a clear view of the front door when they arrived.

"Damn, do they have a lot of booze," Tim exclaimed as he rejoined them. He handed them all beers. "Ted's brother sure did make good on his promise."

Nathan took a large swig to loosen up. If the girls didn't get here in five minutes, he was calling Haley.

"You, Nate Dogg," Tim said while waving his hand in front of his face.

"Huh?"

"You've got some admirers."

Nathan followed Tim's gaze and saw a group of girls giggling amongst each other and sending him flirtatious smiles. Nathan fought the urge to roll his eyes. At one time, he would've been all over that. Now he couldn't care less. _Where the hell is Haley?_

"I'm assuming that happens a lot," Jake said.

"Please, Nathan used to be surrounded by girls at every party," Tim replied. "And when they couldn't have Nathan, they totally went for The Tim."

Jake snickered as Lucas shook his head. "Don't even go there." Lucas then turned to Nathan. "Don't they know you have a girlfriend?"

"If they do, I don't think they care," Jake said. "They're headed this way."

The guys turned to see the girls approaching them. Nathan had seen a few of them around school. He sure as hell couldn't remember their names, but he knew that they were juniors.

"Hello, boys," one of the girls greeted. She was short, had bright red hair, and a dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks. The other three girls were taller and blonde. "Nathan."

"Hey," he replied politely as the others nodded. Nathan's gaze returned to the door, once again. Still no sign of Haley.

"What are you guys doing over here all by yourselves?" one of the blondes asked. "It's a party. Shouldn't you be mingling?"

"We're waiting for our girlfriends," Lucas answered. Nathan knew he was discreetly trying to give them a hint.

The redhead smiled and looked around. "Well, we don't see them." She then ran a finger up and down Nathan's arm. "Maybe we can you company until then."

Apparently these girls weren't the sharpest crayons in the box. "Look, I—" Nathan began when he saw the front door open. It was the girls. Finally! He looked past Brooke, Peyton, and Kat until his eyes landed on Haley. Once that happened, he couldn't look away.

He always knew his girlfriend looked hot as hell but damn. He had to consciously remind himself that there were people around. That was about the only thing stopping him from grabbing her and pushing her up against a wall somewhere.

"What the hell are those two-bit skanks doing?!" Brooke growled as the girls made their way further into the house. It wasn't hard to hear the anger and outrage in her voice.

Haley couldn't help but agree. Who was the little redheaded leprechaun with her hands on Nathan? And why was he just standing there instead of brushing her off?

It wasn't until Haley got closer that she found her answer. Nathan wasn't even staring at the girl. He didn't even seem to be aware of her presence next to him. His eyes were completely fixated on her. Haley felt her stomach do flip flops at the sight.

_I guess the outfit worked_, she mused.

"Beat it, hoes," Brooke ordered once they reached the guys. The group of girls glared at them before smiling at the guys and saying they'd catch up with them later. Brooke, Peyton and Kat turned to their boyfriends with their hands on their hips.

"What?" Lucas spoke up. "We told them we were waiting for our girlfriends."

As their friends argued, Haley found herself unable to look away from Nathan. Her boyfriend's gaze was intense to say the least.

Haley's blonde hair was up and styled. Her makeup was smoky, and her outfit hugged her curves in all of the right places. Nathan's fingers itched to touch the skin left exposed by her halter top. And was that a little extra cleavage he was seeing?

"…it didn't look like nothing," Kat exclaimed. "Right, Haley?"

Haley barely heard her friends as Nathan leaned in to whisper in her ear, asking her to dance.

"Haley," Peyton tried to get her attention.

"Uh, sure," she managed to get out before Nathan started pulling her towards the crowded dance area. She heard their friends call after them, but Nathan just kept going.

He chose a darkened spot in the corner where they wouldn't be as squished. He wasted no time placing his hands on her waist and pulling her against him. Nathan rested his forehead against hers as they moved to the beat of the music.

"You look amazing, Hales."

She involuntarily blushed. "So do you." She loved when Nathan wore his black short-sleeved shirt. It clung to his taut muscles and made them look even more defined.

Nathan brought his hand to her cheek as he eyed her glistening red lips. The last time Haley had worn lip gloss like that, it had tasted like strawberries. He found himself wondering if it was the same kind.

His nose brushed up against hers before closing the tiny gap between them. Nathan groaned as soon as their lips touched. The kiss was sensual and fiery. And much to his satisfaction, he could taste the strawberry on her soft lips. It only made him kiss her more fiercely.

Haley clung to Nathan as she gave herself over to the kiss. Her head felt light and airy as her body tingled from the electric charge passing between them. It wasn't until she felt someone bump her in the back that they pulled away.

Almost instantly her face got hot and her cheeks turned pink. She'd been so focused on Nathan that she forgot there were others around them. Haley noticed a few guys smirking as a couple of girls gave her dirty looks.

Nathan chuckled as Haley suddenly buried her head in his chest. He saw how flushed she was. "What's the matter?"

"Nathan, people are staring."

He tightened his arm around her waist as his other hand ran along the exposed skin of her back. "So?"

"So, we look like a couple of horny teenagers," she exclaimed in a whisper so only he could hear.

Nathan smirked. "Need I point out the obvious?"

"Nathan!" Her blush deepened.

"Haley, it's a party. I'm sure there are people around doing a lot worse stuff than this right now."

"But nobody is looking at them."

"That's because my girl is the sexiest one here."

"Stop it."

"What? It's true."

"So you don't care that there are all these guys leering at me right now?" Haley challenged. She'd noticed quite a few guys staring at her as they danced. It felt so strange to Haley. Before Nathan, she'd hardly ever been the center of attention for anything. Now to be at some wild party with numerous pairs of eyes on them, it was unnerving.

Nathan glared at some of the guys eying her. He knew that Haley had become somewhat of a novelty at school. Her popularity seemed to be growing by the day. And with that came all of the unwanted scrutiny and attention. People seemed to be fascinated by how the school's number one bad boy and tutor had gotten together and continued to stay happy. It was also apparent that the rest of the male population seemed to be realizing what he had over the summer. Haley James, despite her usually composed and conservative demeanor, could be incredibly sexy when she wanted to be.

"It's when they touch that I start breaking their necks," Nathan declared after a moment.

Haley saw the possessiveness in her boyfriend's eyes and felt a shiver run up her spine. She knew that some girls got annoyed when their boyfriends got jealous. And at one point, before dating Nathan, Haley didn't think she'd like that quality either. But there was just something so thrilling about Nathan being so protective over her. She felt so safe and wanted at the same time.

"What?" he questioned when he noticed her smiling at him.

"Nothing," she replied with a shake of her head. She then reached up and pulled his face back down to hers—audience be damned.

~***~

Nathan felt his phone vibrate in his pocket for what felt like the twentieth time that night. Despite his better judgment, he took it out to check the caller ID. It was Dan again. _Big surprise_, he thought sarcastically. His father had been calling him nonstop for the last two hours.

But there was no way in hell Nathan was going to answer. He refused to let his night be spoiled. Nathan already knew that his father would demand that he get his ass back home. Luckily, Ted's beach house was a ways down from his. So it was unlikely that his father would even notice the party.

"Oh my God, I'm so thirsty," Haley declared as she and Brooke returned to the group. Kat and Tim were still dancing, and Peyton and Jake had disappeared to somewhere about an hour ago. Nathan and Lucas had decided to just sit on the couch that had opened up. They'd been dancing for a while with the girls before needing a break. Besides, watching Haley dance was just as stimulating as doing it with her.

"Here, you sit down. I'll get you something," Nathan offered.

Haley took his spot after he stood up. "Thanks."

"What do you want?"

"Can you see if they have any diet soda?"

"I'll have one, too," Brooke requested and took a seat on Lucas' lap.

"Okay. I'll be right back." Nathan made his way into the kitchen.

"Hey, Nate!" Ted called out. Nathan took in the group. Practically everyone who was anyone was in there.

"I told you I saw him," Adam spoke up.

"We thought you skipped out on us again," Dustin added.

"No, I've been around."

Adam laughed. "I noticed."

"Noticed what?" Nathan asked with a frown.

"Nothing. Never mind."

"We were just about to play some beer pong in the other room. You going to come?" Jebar asked. "We could use you. You know Nicki can drink that shit like a horse."

"Who are you calling a horse?" Nicki retorted, laughing and slurring.

Theresa giggled loudly. "I think we had a bit too much. Maybe beer pong isn't such a good idea."

"No way. You ladies challenged us. Now it's on," Dustin proclaimed.

"And seeing as though you're girls, we'll let you go first," Ted teased.

Nicki smirked and pulled him in for a sloppy kiss. "You're still going to lose."

Dustin grabbed Theresa and began to lead her out of the kitchen. "Enough talking. Let's do it already."

"I gotta see this," Vegas chuckled as he and the others began to follow them.

Adam paused and turned to Nathan. "You coming?"

"Maybe later."

"Why? What are you doing now that's so important?"

"Haley and I are hanging out," Nathan answered. He deliberately left out the part about Lucas and the others. His friends didn't seem to like it when he mentioned them. And Nathan was beginning to have a pretty good idea why.

Adam snorted. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

Nathan looked at him suspiciously. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you spend an awful lot of time with her."

"Well, she is my girlfriend."

"You were never like that with Peyton."

Nathan looked away and concentrated on finding the soda that Haley and Brooke wanted. "Haley's different."

Adam laughed again. "I can tell. She sure was a surprise. It's like everything you touch turns to gold."

Nathan just shrugged and searched through the fridge. He really didn't feel like discussing his and Haley's relationship with Adam. He wouldn't understand.

"I just hope you don't forget about those who have been with you from the beginning."

Nathan heard the slight edge in his voice and looked up. "What?"

Adam paused for a moment before continuing, "Look, man, I've kept my mouth shut for awhile now. But there's some weird shit going on, and everyone's starting to notice it."

"I don't understand."

"You never hang out with us anymore, Nathan. You never come to the parties. And when you are around, it's like you're somewhere else. You used to be the toughest and most bad-ass mother fucker in this damn school. And now…"

"Now what?"

"And now you're just plain…well, boring. You've lost your fucking edge, man."

Nathan's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me."

"Look, Haley's a hot chick. I get why you'd want to hit that—"

Nathan felt his whole body tense. "Don't talk about her like that," he warned.

"See, this is my point exactly! Ever since you've started dating her, you've been completely different. You're so fucking guarded and sensitive all of the time," Adam stated.

"Then don't talk about my girlfriend like she's some fucking piece of meat," Nathan snapped.

"And since when do you blow the rest of us off to go hang out with Pucas and his friends?"

"I already told you. We worked out our differences."

"In one summer? Sounds kind of far-fetched to me—especially since you hated the guy."

Nathan's fists tightened as he fought to keep his temper under control. "Look, Adam, I don't have to explain myself to you or anybody else. I can do whatever and hang out with whoever the hell I want. If you guys can't handle that, then that's your problem."

"I know you like to think that you're some kind of fucking god around this school, Nathan, but if you keep pissing off the wrong people, it's going to come back and bite you in the ass."

"Fuck off, Adam. If anything, it's you who shouldn't get on my bad side," Nathan retorted. No way in hell was he going to let this guy threaten him. "The last time I checked, hardly anyone even knew that we had a football team. The only reason people even know your name around here is because you hang out with me and my teammates." Everyone knew that basketball was the main sport around. People in this town hardly paid attention to anything else.

"Teammates you blow off constantly. But I guess since you're such a conceited bastard that you forgot that little fact."

Nathan opened his mouth to reply when he felt his damn phone vibrate, once again. He cursed under his breath and pulled it out. Of course it was Dan.

"Let me guess, it's your brother inviting you to a sleepover," Adam taunted.

Nathan looked up and glared at him. "Don't push me, bitch," he gritted through his teeth. He then eyed a bottle of vodka off to the side and grabbed it before getting the hell out of the kitchen.

~***~

Haley searched around the house for Nathan twice, and she still couldn't find him. The last time she'd seen him had been when he went to grab her a drink. He never came back afterward. Haley had even tried calling his phone a couple of times, but it went straight to voice mail.

"Haley," someone called out. She quickly turned around but was disappointed. She'd been hoping it was Nathan.

"Hey," Adam greeted her.

"Hey," she replied as her eyes swept the room.

"I saw you around a couple of times but couldn't seem to find you before you took off."

"Oh, well, I haven't really been staying in one spot for that long."

Adam laughed. "I noticed. But, uh, since you're here now, did you want to dance?"

"Thanks, Adam, but I can't."

"Why not?" he questioned. "What are you looking at?"

She finally returned her gaze to him. "Oh, sorry. I'm just looking for Nathan. He seems to have disappeared. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

"No. Sorry."

"Okay, well—"

"Why don't you take a break from finding him?"

"I can't—" she began to say when he suddenly reached out. She felt his hand on her face, turning her to look at him.

"Dance with me," he repeated in a deeper voice. It sounded more like an order than a request.

Haley felt herself involuntarily pull back from him. He was so close. Too close. "Um, thanks. Really. But I should find Nathan," Haley excused as politely as she could. She could smell the alcohol on Adam's breath. He was probably drunk.

"Hey, Haley," he called just as she was starting to walk away.

She paused for a moment but kept her distance. "What?"

"You look hot tonight."

Haley stood there frozen in surprise. _Did_ _he really just say that?_ Adam smiled at her once more before heading in the opposite direction. _He has to be drunk_, she concluded and brushed it off.

Having circled the house enough, Haley decided to check outside for Nathan. She grabbed a blanket that was on top of one of the couches and wrapped it around her shoulders. There was a large bonfire outside on the beach, but the air was still chilly despite the heat emanating from it.

She had to squint as her eyes adjusted to the darker atmosphere. She searched the area until spotting a lone figure several yards away to the left. As Haley got closer, she quickly learned that it was Nathan. She frowned, however, when she was close enough to see the large bottle of liquor in his hand.

"Nathan?"

He looked over at her before patting the ground next to him. She took the hint and sat down. "Nathan, where's your coat?" she questioned when she noticed that he was only wearing his short-sleeved shirt without a jacket. She placed her hand on his arm. "You're freezing."

"I don't even feel it anymore," he answered.

She stared at him in concern for a moment before wrapping the blanket around him, too. "I tried calling you."

"I turned my phone off."

"Why?"

"Dan kept calling."

She looped her arm through his and leaned on his shoulder. "Oh."

He took another swig from the bottle.

"Is that why you're drinking?" she inquired after another moment of silence. He'd had a beer or two earlier, but it hadn't seemed like he was trying to get drunk—unlike now.

"Maybe." He shrugged. "I don't know. I just need a break."

"I thought you were having fun tonight," she commented.

He grabbed one of her hands and started stroking it. "I was."

"Then what happened?"

"I realized that I'm different," he stated. "I've changed."

She looked at him in confusion. "I don't understand."

"I didn't really want to come to this party tonight."

"I'm sorry," Haley mumbled. "I thought that—"

"It's not your fault," he interrupted and squeezed her hand. "I used to always love to party. I lived for wild nights like this."

"But…" she prodded.

He sighed. "But I'm sick of it now. I don't really like the same things that I used to. I don't feel like the way I used to."

"Is that bad?" she questioned.

Nathan shook his head. "No. Not at all," he answered softly. "But other people don't seem to think so." He knew that Adam was somewhat right. Nathan had been blowing off his old friends. He didn't feel the urge to go to every party anymore. All he really felt like doing now was spending time with Haley and the others.

It was weird. The only reason he'd been such a bad ass and acted out before was because he never had what he had now. He'd been so caught up in trying to live up to the Scott name and be the big man on campus that his father wanted to him to be. Never once back then did it ever cross his mind that he wasn't really living. He was just going through the motions, trying to fill the void.

Dan was still a pain in the ass. But everything else was different. For the first time, Nathan actually had people in his life he could depend on. No matter what kind of hell his father or his so-called friends like Adam put him through, he knew that he had some really great and genuine people in his life now. He didn't feel the need to do all that other stupid stuff anymore.

"Nathan?"

He heard the worry in Haley's voice and moved to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her more into him. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure? You're being so cryptic. It's making me nervous."

"I'm okay. Really," he assured her and kissed her forehead. "I just want to sit out here with you like this. Unless you're too cold. Then we could go in—"

"No. I'm fine," she said, snuggling into him further. He didn't seem to feel like talking at the moment, and she wasn't going to push him.

"Were Lucas and everyone else looking for me, too?"

Haley shook her head. "No. Everyone kind of got separated." She didn't really mind. They'd all spent the beginning of the party hanging out together. Some alone time with Nathan would be the perfect end to the evening.

"So, uh, what does that stuff taste like?" Haley questioned a few minutes later.

Nathan chuckled. "It's strong," he answered. "Why? You want to try it?"

Haley stared at the bottle for a couple of seconds. She reached out to take it from him. Aside from a little bit of wine at family functions, she'd never actually had a legitimate drink before. She hated to admit it, but she was a bit curious to find out what it was like.

Haley raised the bottle to her lips. As soon as the burning liquid entered her mouth, her face scrunched up and her body shuddered.

"You okay?" Nathan questioned, fighting back a smile while patting her back. She started coughing once she swallowed it.

Haley looked between her boyfriend and the bottle. "Ugh, that stuff is gross!"

~***~

"Nathan, come on," Haley begged.

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"I want to play I Spy."

"We already played three billion times. There's nothing left to spy."

"Yes, there is. There are tons of things," she declared loudly.

Nathan wasn't sure how much time had passed but the bottle of alcohol was completely empty. Haley, to his surprise, had finished the rest of it with a little help from him.

"No, there isn't."

"Yes, there is," she repeated with a tiny slur to her speech. "I'll show you."

"Hales—"

"I spy with my bionic eye something…wet."

"The ocean," he instantly guessed.

Haley's face lit up excitedly. "Hey, how'd you know?!"

"Because you used it the last three times," he chuckled.

"Oh. Crap," she muttered. "Now what am I going to use? Ooh, sand!"

"You just told me," Nathan pointed out. "Plus, you already used that, too."

"Damn!" she pouted.

Nathan laughed again as he leaned in to kiss her. "I've never seen you like this."

Haley smiled against his lips. "Well, now you have."

They kissed for a few more minutes before she pulled a way, causing him to groan in protest.

"I have one more," she declared.

"How about we just don't talk," Nathan muttered as his lips touched her neck. He wove his hand through her blonde locks that were now down and pulled her even closer.

Haley's eyes shut momentarily as she felt his lips nipping at her skin. "But it's a really good one," Haley whispered breathlessly.

"What?" he replied without breaking contact.

"I spy with my bionic eye something—" She gasped when she felt him sucking on her weak spot just under her chin. "—something…"

"Something what?" he prodded when she became quiet.

"Sexy," she finally answered.

Nathan moved back a little to look at her and smirked. "Me, too."

Haley wasn't sure if it was the force of his eyes or the cold air around them, but she shivered.

"Let's go inside," he suggested and kissed her once more. All they had was a blanket, and he didn't want Haley getting sick. Plus, there were still some people around near the bonfire not too far away. So they weren't completely alone.

"Okay," she said with a nod. Nathan stood up first and then helped her. "Whoa, quit moving the beach." When did she become so dizzy all of a sudden?

Nathan held onto her tightly and was just about to guide her towards the house when he noticed the blue and red lights coming from the front of the house. He cursed under his breath. The police must have come to break up the party.

Haley turned around in his arms to see what he was looking at. "Uh-oh."

"Come on. We'll go back towards my house."

She took a few steps and halted. Her head was spinning again but worse. "Nathan."

Nathan knew that look all too well. The alcohol was really starting to hit her. She wouldn't be able to walk that far without being sick. Nathan turned around. "Jump on my back."

"What?"

"I'm going to carry you, so hop on."

Haley was about to protest when the dizzy spell occurred a third time. "Okay." She grabbed onto his shoulders. "On the count of five. One, three, five…"

Nathan caught her legs and held on tightly. When she had a good enough grip on him, he started towards his beach house.

"Are you really going to carry me all the way there?" Haley asked.

"Yup." He wasn't as smashed as her. Years of drinking had definitely built up his tolerance.

She kissed his ear. "You're really strong." She smiled when she heard his deep, husky laugh but frowned when it unexpectedly stopped.

"Nathan, what—" she began when she saw him. Dan Scott was standing about ten feet from them. She wondered how he'd found them until she noticed that they were right near Nathan's beach house. It was much quicker than she'd thought.

Nathan cringed as he saw the furious look his father was sending his way. He clutched Haley tighter. "Nice knowing you."

~***~

"Um, I'm, I think that I probably—" Haley stammered as Dan held her firmly by the arm, dragging her along. Nathan was following close behind. She couldn't figure out where they were going in the dark. It didn't help that her balance and sense of direction were off.

"You've got Masonborough next week and this is how you're training," Dan snapped.

"Can we do this later?" Nathan sighed.

They reached the car. Dan opened up the passenger's side door and pushed Haley inside. "There may not be a later for you."

"Uh, um, Mr. Scott—" She really didn't feel well. Her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults along with her head.

"Was I talking to you?" Dan argued and slammed the door. "Now stay in the car. We're taking you home."

Nathan got into the backseat as his dad walked around the back to the driver's side. Dan opened the door and got in. Afterward, he turned in his seat to face Nathan. "I'm sure the scouts will love this—"

Haley placed her hand over her mouth as she felt her stomach muscles clench. Something hot and liquid-y was rising up her throat—fast. She felt another sharp pain in her gut before leaning over towards Dan and throwing up all over his lap.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone, I wanted to thank you all for your feedback. I've been sick all week and your reviews really helped to brighten my day. So here's the next chapter for you guys. Things are going to get a bit complicated now. I know that everyone's hating Dan, and I can guarantee that won't change anytime soon. With that in mind, please read and tell me what you think!**

**

* * *

Chapter 13**

A pounding headache. That's the first thing that registered in Haley's mind as she slowly slipped back into consciousness. She shifted in her bed and groaned as the pain intensified. Maybe moving wasn't the best idea at the moment.

She opened her eyes but shut them a few seconds later. The sun was piercing and hurting her head even more. What the hell had happened last night?

"You look like you could use some Tylenol."

Haley jumped at the unexpected voice and instantly regretted it. "Ow," she muttered and held her head.

Lydia took a seat on the bed beside her. "Can you sit up?"

"Give me a minute," she requested.

"Here." Lydia handed her the two pills and glass of water once she was sitting up completely.

"Thanks, Mom."

"You had quite a night."

Did she? Haley still couldn't remember what the heck had happened. The last thing she could recall was sitting on the beach with Nathan last night.

"You don't remember," Lydia concluded.

Haley stared at her mother sheepishly. "Um, not entirely."

"You drank too much."

She clutched her throbbing head. "I get that."

"Mr. Scott found you and Nathan on the beach. He was the one to bring you home."

"Oh no," Haley muttered as the fog in her brain started to clear. A few images were starting to come back into focus.

"He was very upset—especially about his pants."

"Oh _no_," she moaned. She definitely remembered that part. She'd been so sick. She couldn't even hold it in.

"Oh yes. Your father and I offered to pay the dry cleaning bill."

Haley placed her head in her hands. "I'm so sorry, Mom."

"It's not that big a deal," Lydia shrugged. "I never liked the man anyway. So good aim, honey."

"Mom."

Lydia laughed loudly. "What?"

"Nothing. Can you keep your voice down?" Haley asked.

"Which brings me to my next concern. Since when do you drink, Haley Bop?"

It wasn't hard to miss the worry in her mother's voice. "I don't. I just tried it that one time."

_And I'll never drink like that again_, she added to herself. It was seriously not worth feeling like this in the morning.

"Did Nathan put you up to it?"

"No. It was my choice, Mom," she stated. "Are you and Dad angry?"

"Not really. Although we probably should be since we were up with you most of the night. You couldn't keep much down."

Haley shuddered at the memory of that, too. "I'm sorry. I'm never drinking again," she declared. "I promise."

"I hope not."

"Am I grounded?"

"You've never been grounded," Lydia pointed out.

"I know. But I thought, well, considering…" Haley was definitely the best behaved of the James children. But after what happened last night, it seemed she'd finally joined ranks with her siblings.

"Hmm," Lydia pretended to think about it. "No. I think you've learned your lesson."

Haley stared at her in shock. "Really?"

"Haley, you are the least wild and impetuous child I have. And I know when you tell me that you won't do something that I can trust you," her mother explained. "Besides, you're going to feel like crap the rest of the day. I think that's punishment enough."

Haley nodded and winced. Her damn head really was killing her. "Thanks, Mom."

"Sure. But just so you know, that dry cleaning bill will be coming from your paycheck at the café," Lydia informed her. "Your dad and I just said we'd do it to shut him up."

"Okay. That sounds fair."

Lydia nodded. "Okay. Why don't you stay in bed and sleep it off."

"All right." There really wasn't much else she could do feeling like this.

Before leaving the room, Lydia shut the window shade to keep out the sunlight. Haley mumbled a "thank you" and laid back down. She really did feel awful. She just wanted to be put out of her misery. And if she felt this horrible, Haley could only imagine how Nathan felt right now.

~***~

"I can't believe you, Nathan. How could you be so reckless and stupid?!" Dan shouted.

Nathan kept his head down and remained silent. He was sitting on the couch in the living room as Dan paced back and forth.

"This is the most important year of your life, and you're screwing it all up. What would have happened if you'd gotten caught by the cops at that party?!" he exclaimed. "I'll tell you. Your reputation would be ruined. Your chances to impress the scouts would be ruined. We don't train and go running for hours on end for you to get drunk at some party."

"I wasn't that—" Nathan began to mumble.

"Don't interrupt me," he snapped. "I'm very disappointed in you, Nathan. I expected more from you."

"Dad, you never cared before," Nathan quickly pointed out. He knew Dan was going to tell him to shut up again any second now. "I used to stay out late all of the time and party. You never gave a damn then."

"You weren't a senior then. Your dreams weren't just within your reach as they are now. Every move and decision you make counts. And I'm not going to let you throw it all away."

"I'm not throwing anything away—"

"I said don't interrupt me!"

"But—"

"Shut up, Nathan! I've had it with you. Do you hear me?" he yelled. "You've completely gone off the deep end. And I refuse to let you throw everything we've worked so hard for away. You weren't even like this until you started hanging around with those rejects."

Nathan's eyes narrowed at that. "What rejects?"

"That guy and that girl."

"Oh, you mean my brother and my girlfriend?" he retorted.

"Watch it."

"What? It's what they are," Nathan challenged.

"That kid is not a part of our family. And that girl is nothing but trouble. I bet it was her who brought the alcohol, right?"

"No. I did. Haley's never even drank before."

Dan rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Sure she hasn't," he scoffed.

"It's the truth."

"The truth is she's a bad influence. She's getting in the way of your game. And what's worse is she's not even worth it. Her father is an employee at the electric company for God's sakes," Dan ranted. "And did you see how small their house was last night?"

"So? There's nothing wrong with that," Nathan bit back angrily. He could feel his temper rising as his father bashed Haley and her family. None of that petty shit mattered to Nathan. Haley was an amazing person. Her parents were just as nice and treated him well. That's all he cared about.

"She is beneath you, Nathan. You can do so much better. And after you make it to Duke, you will find someone much more deserving of you."

"Haley is not beneath me," Nathan gritted out. "And I don't want anyone else."

"You're seventeen. You don't even know what you want. But I know what you need."

"Oh yeah? And what the hell is that?"

"You need to break up with her and sever all ties with those so-called friends of yours."

Nathan shook his head vigorously. "No."

"Yes."

"No." He couldn't do it. He wouldn't. Haley was everything to him. His friends were the only people he could trust. So much had been taken from him already. He couldn't give up the most important things he still had.

"This is not a request or suggestion, Nathan. This is an order. I forbid you to see Haley or any of those other rejects again."

"I won't do it. Do you hear me?" he replied as the volume of his voice increased. Nathan stood up. "I will _not_ give up Haley or my friends. It's bad enough that I have to live here with you. Mom's mad at me. I can barely go out. All I do is train and work myself until I can barely walk let alone run anymore. I'm not giving up anything else!"

"You're not giving up anything. You're purging your life of all these unnecessary distractions and hassles. You've got me, Nathan. You've got basketball. That's all you need right now."

"I'm not doing it! Do you get that?!" Nathan shouted. "I won't!"

"Yes, you will," Dan ordered. "If you want to keep your basketball career alive, you will. It would be a shame if the scouts got wind of some of the less honorable things you've done."

Nathan's fists clenched at the threat. He knew what Dan was doing. He was still holding that one stupid night that he took those drugs over his head. "Go ahead and fucking tell them. I don't give a shit anymore!" He wanted so badly to wipe that damn haughty smirk off of his father's face right now. He was so sick of being controlled. Dan forbidding him to see Haley and his friends was the last straw.

"I'm sure you don't really mean that. Without basketball, you're nothing, Nathan. Your grades won't get you a scholarship. You'll be lucky if you even get into college. You'll have nothing while all of those stupid 'friends' of yours go off and live their own lives, leaving you behind," Dan stated. "This is your only chance at a bright future."

"I'm not—"

"And I can see that you're not thinking clearly right now. That hot temper of yours is getting in the way. Which is why I'm giving you one day to think it over," Dan told him. "One day to decide what you really want. Whatever happens afterward is all on you."

~***~

Haley could feel herself coming out of a deep sleep. She'd been like that most of the day. With such a killer headache, sleep was the only reprieve. She was just about to turn over and try to get some more rest when she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door.

Lydia stuck her head in. "Haley, honey, are you up?"

"What is it, Mom?" she asked groggily and rubbed her eyes.

"Um, Nathan's downstairs. He said he needs to talk to you. He looks really upset. But if you're not feeling well, I can tell him to—"

"No," Haley quickly interrupted. "No, I'm fine. Um, just give me a minute to change."

"Okay," she replied with a nod.

Haley got out of bed, ignoring her still queasy stomach, and rushed to her dresser. She changed out of her pajamas and put on a pair of her nicer sweatpants and a t-shirt. Afterward, she ran a brush through her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail.

A moment later, another knock sounded on her door.

"Hales, can I come in?" Nathan questioned.

"Yeah," she called.

Nathan walked in and shut the door behind him. It only took a second for Haley to notice how tired and worn out he appeared. But there was something else, too. A nervous edge seemed to be emanating from him. When he closed the distance between them and abruptly pulled her into a tight hug, she knew her mother was right. Something was definitely going on with him.

"Are you okay?" she questioned in a quiet voice.

"I'm sorry to bother you," he mumbled and pulled back a little to look at her. "Your mom said you weren't feeling well. Are you still hung over?"

"A little bit. The worst is over. I've just got a headache and am tired."

"You should sleep then. I'll come back later—"

"No," she interjected. "I've been sleeping most of the day. I'm okay now." He still hadn't answered her question, and she knew that he was dodging it.

He caressed her cheek. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now what's going on with you?"

Nathan sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm so tired, Haley," he muttered with his eyes closed.

"Well, why don't you lie down? Maybe you'll—"

Nathan shook his head and opened his eyes. "It's not that. I got into another fight with Dan—a bad one."

"Okay." She waited for him to continue.

His voice came out strained. "I can't do it anymore, Hales. I can't."

She grabbed his hand and led him over to her bed to sit down. "Can't what?"

"I can't stay with him. I can't let him control me anymore. I won't give anything else up."

"Give what up?" Haley prodded. She was having a difficult time understanding him.

"You."

She squeezed his hand. "What about me?"

"My dad he…he thinks you're distracting me from basketball. He blames everything that happened last night on you."

"Oh."

"I told him that it wasn't like that but, as usual, he doesn't listen or give a damn."

Haley could see the pain in her boyfriend's eyes. He'd been having a lot of problems with Dan since he moved in with him. But this was different. She could tell it was much more serious. "Nathan, tell me what happened. Maybe I can help."

He laughed humorlessly. "You can't. Either way I lose everything."

"Nathan," she urged.

"He wants me to break up with you. Well, demanded it is more like it," Nathan explained. When he saw her hurt expression, he quickly added, "But it's not just you. He doesn't want me with Lucas or the others either."

"Why?"

"Because he wants total control over me. That's why. He wants me to focus on basketball and nothing else."

Haley could feel the queasy feeling in her stomach increase at his words. She didn't know what to make of this. "What did you say?"

"I told him to go to hell," he said in a hard voice. "I've given up so much already, Haley. I'm not adding you to that list of sacrifices I've had to make. I can't take it anymore. I mean it. I'm done with him."

His breathing was heavy and his face was contorted with a mixture of anger and desperation. Nathan placed his head in his hands. "I feel like I can't breathe."

Haley felt her eyes water but kept herself in control. Nathan needed her right now. After weeks of putting up with Dan, he was finally cracking.

Nathan felt like his chest was constricting as his heart pounded more rapidly. The fact that he was suddenly short of breath freaked him out even more. "Hales." He'd never felt like this before. He didn't know what to do. "I can't breathe." His voice was strangled.

"Nathan, it's okay." He was having a panic attack. Haley was sure of it. Her older brother Matt would get them growing up every time he was really stressed. Her mom used to have to calm him down. "You're fine. You just need to clear your mind and keep your breathing steady."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can." She stood up in front of him. He leaned his head against her waist as one of her hands caressed his hair. The other was rubbing his back. "It's just an anxiety attack. Okay? It'll pass. But you need to think about something that you like. Something that you find calming and relaxing, okay? Focus on that and just breathe."

Nathan closed his eyes and did as she said. He focused on Haley's voice. He concentrated on the feeling of her hands soothing him. He inhaled and exhaled at a steady pace. His heart kept rushing on, but he didn't waver. Haley always knew how to make things better, so he trusted her.

"That's it," Haley encouraged. "Good."

It was getting better, he noticed. So he continued to concentrate on her and breathe evenly. Within a few minutes, he started to feel like normal again.

"That's good. Do you feel better?"

Nathan nodded and waited a minute before pulling back from her. But he didn't look up. He just kept his eyes on the ground. "God, how did I get like this?" he muttered. He could only imagine what Dan or one of his old friends like Adam would say if they could see him now. He felt so weak.

Haley's hands moved from his shoulders up to his face. She could sense his embarrassment and forced him to look at her. "Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of people get like that. It happens."

"I just…I just don't like feeling like this," he revealed.

"Like what?"

"Vulnerable."

"Nobody does. But we all have our moments."

"I don't know what to do, Hales."

Haley took a seat on his lap. "First of all, you're not alone in this. I'm going to help you," she reassured him. "But first I need to know everything that is going on. Okay?"

Nathan sighed. "Okay."

"So he wants you to break up with me and stay away from the others," she stated.

"Yeah."

"And if you don't?"

"He'll use that stupid drugs thing against me, and my reputation will be ruined," he explained.

"But if you do, um, decide to leave me—"

"Which I won't," Nathan cut in.

"—then what will happen?"

"Then I'll still be stuck with Dan and isolated more than ever," he answered. "I told you. Either way I lose."

"Well, we can't let that happen now, can we?"

Nathan saw the determined expression on Haley's face and gave her a curious look. "Meaning?"

"Meaning we have to find a way to deal with this."

"What did you have in mind?"

Haley could feel her idea growing clearer with each second. It wouldn't be easy. In fact, it would be pure torture. But the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like the only way. "You're not going to like this."

Nathan watched her carefully. "What is it?"

It was another moment before she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Do you trust me?"

He remained silent as he tried to decipher the meaning behind her words. What exactly was Haley about to propose?

"Nathan, do you trust me?" she repeated.

He met her gaze and eventually nodded. "Yes."

"Okay, so here's what I think we should do…"

~***~

It was around seven-thirty that night when Nathan returned to the beach house. He'd spent most of the day with Haley, avoiding going home. He knew that once he did, everything would, once again, change. And unfortunately, it wouldn't be for the better.

He stuck his key in the lock to open the front door. Most of the house was dark except for a small light at the top of the stairs. Nathan automatically knew that Dan was in his office up there. He took a deep breath before climbing the stairs.

Sure enough, Dan was right where he thought he'd be. He was looking over some papers with a glass of what Nathan presumed was scotch in his hand. Nathan stood just outside the cracked door and prepared himself for what was next.

"Nathan," Dan said when he finally noticed him. "I was wondering when you'd be back."

"I thought about what you said."

"And."

"I'm going to make basketball my top priority."

"What about the girl?"

"It's over. I ended things with her this afternoon."

Dan smiled proudly. "Good. You made the right decision, son."

Nathan didn't say anything further. He just nodded before leaving the room. Unlike his father's confidence, he wasn't sure if it was the right decision. Only time would tell.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone, I'm so sorry about not updating. Things have been crazy this past week with school and life, and I've barely had any time to myself. Not to mention it being Halloween yesterday. So here is the next chapter for you. Also, for those of you reading Mine Again, I am going to try to update that story sometime this week. **

**

* * *

Chapter 14**

Haley sat on the picnic table at the River Court. She'd called Lucas and the others a few hours ago and asked them to meet her there. She had something really important to tell them. She'd spent most of the afternoon and evening with Nathan yesterday. She'd been just as upset and hurt by Dan's demand as he was, but Haley refused to let Nathan's poor excuse of a father win. That's why what happened next was so imperative.

Haley checked her watch again and sighed. _Where is everyone? I told them to be prompt. _A couple of minutes later, Lucas' truck pulled up. He and Brooke got out and approached her.

"You're late."

"Sorry, Hales. We had some car trouble," Lucas told her.

"But we're here now. So what's up, Tutor Girl? You sounded so cryptic on the phone."

"Let's wait for everyone else first."

"You're fidgeting," Lucas noted. "It must be bad."

Brooke stared at her intently. "Is it?"

Haley avoided their gazes and looked down at her folded hands. "I'm sure everyone else will be here any second now."

It was a couple more minutes before Peyton and Jake arrived, followed soon after by Tim and Kat.

"So what's this big meeting about?" Tim questioned once they were all huddled around Haley. "And where's Nate?"

"Yeah, you said that you both had something to tell us," Peyton added.

"That's true, but Nathan couldn't make it today," Haley replied. "Which is kind of the reason why I asked you all here in the first place."

"And that would be because…?" Jake prodded.

"Seriously, Tutor Girl, what's going on?" Brooke urged when Haley hesitated.

"Okay, but I before I tell you guys, I just want you to know that Nathan and I thought this through. I mean, we really talked it over. It's really the only thing. The only option. We—"

"Hales, you're rambling," Lucas pointed out.

"Right. Sorry," she apologized. Why was this so freaking hard?! "Basically, what happened is Dan forbid Nathan to see me anymore."

"Wait, what?" Peyton questioned. Her shocked toned mirrored everyone else's expressions.

"He doesn't want Nathan around me. He thinks that I'm bad for his game," Haley explained.

"This has got to be a joke," Lucas scoffed angrily.

She looked at him sympathetically. "Well, there's more. He doesn't really want Nathan around any of us. But it's mostly just you and me, Luke."

"I can't believe this. Who the hell does he think he is?" Brooke fumed.

"What did Nathan say to this?" Jake spoke up.

"Originally, he told him to go to hell. But Nathan really doesn't have a choice. Dan's calling the shots and if Nathan doesn't do what he wants, then things are going to get ugly."

Peyton frowned and shared glances with the others. "I don't understand. What would happen?"

"Look, I can't actually say. All I can tell you is that there is only one solution to all of this."

"Which is?" Jake asked.

"Nathan and I have decided to break up."

"What?!" everyone exploded.

"Are you guys crazy? You love each other. Why would you decide to do something like that?" Brooke argued.

Lucas looked just as angry. "Was this Nathan's idea?"

"I'm so confused right now," Kat interjected.

"Ditto," Tim mumbled.

"It wasn't Nathan's idea. It was mine. And I know you're all upset, but it's not what it sounds like. Please just listen to me," Haley requested. She could see how stunned and livid they all were by this turn of events.

"Haley, seriously, tell us what the hell is going on," Lucas demanded. The others all nodded in agreement.

"I would if you'd all let me get a word in," she scolded. When they all remained silent, she continued. "Nathan and I got drunk at the party the other night and—"

"Since when do you drink?" Brooke cut in.

"Brooke," Lucas reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Go on, Tutor Girl."

"As I was saying, Nathan and I got drunk. We were just being stupid. It wasn't anything major," Haley began to explain. "Anyway, eventually Dan caught us and now he thinks that I'm some bad influence on Nathan."

Lucas snorted. "Yeah right." Brooke nudged him to be quiet.

"So he told Nathan to break up with me and to stop spending so much time with the rest of us. He wants Nathan focused solely on basketball."

"But I don't get it. Why doesn't Nathan just tell him to go screw and live back with his mom?" Brooke questioned.

Jake bobbed his head in agreement. "Yeah, his mom already got the divorce. Why does he have to stay there?"

"The divorce was only a small reason why Nathan went to live with him."

"What aren't you telling us?" Peyton pushed.

Haley sighed. It was so difficult getting around the truth. "I can't get into the details. But the bottom line is that Dan is blackmailing him."

"Oh my God. With what?" Kat asked.

"It was some stupid mistake that Nathan made last year that Dan won't let go."

"What mistake?" Brooke prodded.

"I can't—"

"It was those stupid drugs, wasn't it?" Tim cut in.

"Tim!" Haley heatedly exclaimed.

"I told him not take them. That shit my brother deals is messed up. But nobody listens to The Tim…"

Peyton's eyes widened. "He took drugs?"

"What drugs?" Brooke inquired.

"Is he still on them?" Jake joined in.

Kat turned on her boyfriend. "You gave them to him?!"

"Guys, calm down," Lucas intervened. "It only happened once."

Brooke whipped around to face him. "You knew about this, too?"

"Look, it only happened once. And since Nathan's not proud of it, he didn't want everyone to know," Haley spoke up.

"And you can't tell anyone else," Lucas added. He then looked to Haley.

She automatically knew that he was asking permission to tell them the rest of the story. Haley paused for a moment, unsure, before finally nodding for him to go ahead. The cat was out of the bag anyway. _Nathan is not going to be happy about this_, she thought.

"It could really screw with his future in basketball," Lucas continued. "Dan's threatened to leak it out to the public. In exchange for his silence, he wanted Nathan to go live with him."

"He also has to do what he says," Haley elaborated. "It's why we're sort of stuck in this position now. Either Nathan stays away from us or he loses everything he's ever worked for."

They others all stared at them, stunned into silence, once again.

"Damn," Jake eventually mumbled.

"Poor Nathan," Peyton sympathized.

Tim shrugged. "Look on the bright side. It could have been worse. Nathan could've grown breasts with that stuff he took."

"Ew, Tim," Kat remarked with a shudder.

"So now the two of you are breaking up," Brooke said to Haley. "That's so unfair."

Lucas put his arm around Haley's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Hales."

"It sucks. But as I said before, it's not what it seems. Nathan and I are breaking up—as far as everyone else will know."

Brooke's eyes lit up as the others watched her curiously. "Okay, you've got our attention. Spill, Tutor Girl."

"Nathan refuses to let Dan get his way on this one. He already feels like he's trapped as it is. So, basically, Nathan and I are going to make it seem like we've broken up. And we were hoping that the rest of you would be willing to go along with it," Haley told them. She could hear the nervousness creeping into her voice. She hoped that they'd all agree to help them, but she wasn't sure.

"I hate Dan. So you know I'm in," Lucas declared, breaking the silence that had followed. Haley smiled as he gave her shoulders a squeeze.

"Me, too. This whole secret-love thing is _so_ Romeo and Juliet," Brooke stated.

Haley threw her a thankful look before glancing towards the others.

"It's not right what Dan is doing," Peyton commented, speaking for the rest. "We'll definitely help you guys any way that we can."

"Thank you," Haley said sincerely.

"And you're sure that you can handle this?" Lucas inquired, making sure. "It's going to be really hard, Hales."

Haley tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it felt strained. She could just imagine how everyone at school was going to react to this. "I know. But what other choice do we have?"

~***~

Nathan could feel his mind drifting. He knew that he should be paying attention to what his French teacher was saying. But she was speaking in French. And he didn't feel like translating. He was having a hard enough time concentrating on what people were saying to him in English today.

He walked around school in a daze. It all felt so surreal. Like a bad nightmare that he couldn't escape from. Nathan looked towards the windows of the classroom and caught the end of two students whispering. Their gazes lingered on him before they noticed him staring. They quickly quieted down and looked away.

Nathan was somewhat relieved when the bell rang. The feeling only lasted for a few seconds before he noticed more people talking and staring at him in the hallway. It didn't take long for Brooke to spread the rumor around school that he and Haley had broken up. The brunette was known for being Tree Hill High's gossip queen. Their peers would be more likely to believe it if it came from Brooke instead of one of the other jealous wannabes around school. Needless to say, the news had spread like wildfire. It was like the first day of school all over again. Except this time it was the people who'd originally doubted the sincerity and strength of his relationship with Haley that were now running their mouths nonstop. Hearing his classmates coming up with all these theories and knowing the actual truth himself made him feel sick.

Nathan hated Dan even more for putting him through this.

He walked into the cafeteria. Unthinkingly, he started towards his usual table. But he caught himself a few seconds later when he remembered that he couldn't sit there anymore. Not if he and Haley were going to make everyone believe that they were done.

Nathan couldn't help but sneak a quick glance towards the table, though. Haley was already sitting down with the others. She was sandwiched between Brooke and Lucas. They, along with the others, seemed to be glaring at anyone who dared to throw a pitying look Haley's way. Nathan was thankful that the group was being so protective of her.

Haley was his main concern. Nathan had always been at the top of the social hierarchy at school. And he knew that that would never change. It was different for Haley, though. She'd never been the focus of so much attention before she dated him. After the first couple of months, she'd become just as popular as him. But this "breakup" could change all of that.

It was high school. People could be downright cruel. Nathan didn't want anyone badmouthing Haley. And he knew that they would once they found out that they'd split up. Most would assume that he'd dumped her. Then she wouldn't be popular anymore. It'd be the opposite. She'd be ridiculed and shamed. She'd be labeled as just another one of Nathan Scott's conquests. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He couldn't bare that. Haley was doing this for him, after all.

That's why Nathan had insisted that Brooke tell everyone that it was Haley who dumped him. It'd make her look good. No one in their little group would mention the details. The less said the better. There were less chances of slipping up that way. This whole situation had to be convincing if it was going to work. Their peers could all make up whatever scenarios they wanted. And in the meantime, Nathan would focus on finally freeing himself from Dan's grasp. He didn't know how he'd do it, but he was determined to find a way.

Nathan locked eyes with Haley. He saw the pain reflecting in her gaze and knew that his probably mirrored hers. He then quickly looked away when he noticed people watching them with piqued curiosity. The tension in their little display most likely just solidified their act.

Nathan scanned the rest of the cafeteria quickly and spotted Adam and his other friends sitting on the opposite side of the room.

"I'm with you, bro," Tim said as he appeared next to him.

Nathan couldn't remember the last time he'd been relieved by Tim's presence. He gave him a thankful nod and geared himself up for what he had to do next.

"Hey, guys," Nathan greeted them once they reached the table. "Do you mind if we join you?"

They all exchanged looks.

"Uh, sure," Ted finally spoke up. The others pushed down to make room.

Nathan briefly met Adam's gaze as he sat down, but the guy turned away from him to talk to Ashley. Nathan knew that Adam was ignoring him after their big fight Friday night. He didn't care. The guy had always been an ass anyways. Nathan didn't need him. He had enough going on in his life.

"So, tutor chick dumped you," Nicki stated bluntly. Leave it to her to be insensitive.

"Nicki," Ted hissed.

"What? It's what everyone is talking about," Theresa spoke up as the rest of the people at the table tuned into the conversation.

"And we all want to know what happened. Why beat around the bush?" Nicki added and glanced back at Nathan. "So, how _does_ the great Nathan Scott get dumped by the school's biggest brainiac?"

Theresa snickered. "Did you misplace her pocket protector?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "It's none of your damn business."

"Wow, it must have been bad," Nicki sneered.

"Did something happen at the party?" Dustin looked a little sheepish joining in but apparently that wasn't enough to stop him.

"Did you hook up with someone else?" Ted questioned. His previous hesitance also seemed to be cast to the wind.

"Yeah, I don't think innocent Haley James would like that," Theresa said.

"I didn't cheat on her," Nathan declared in a firm voice.

Nicki smirked. "Maybe it was the opposite. Bad sex?" The others snickered.

Nathan tried to keep his voice steady. Were they deliberately trying to piss him off? "No. It wasn't anything like that either."

"Tim, you're awfully quiet," Jebar pointed out. "You want to shed some light on the situation."

"I don't know anything, man," Tim lied with a straight face. Nathan was impressed. Tim wasn't always the best actor.

"Look, it just didn't work out," Nathan explained. "Let's leave it at that."

"I thought you were in love with her," Adam mentioned while giving him a challenging look. "I mean, that's why you ditched us all so many times, right? To hang out with her and your new best friend Pucas."

Nathan could feel the weight of everyone's stares on him. His fists clenched under the table as he, once again, tried to keep his temper in check. He wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug smirk off of Adam's face right now. "I guess love wasn't enough," Nathan replied, trying not to choke on his words. "It's all over with now anyway."

"So you're not going to hang out with Lucas anymore then?" Ted tried to clarify.

"No."

"What's going to happen at practice?" Dustin asked.

"We're just teammates. Nothing more," Nathan answered. His tone left no room for further explanation.

Silence emerged among them. Eventually it was Adam that broke it. "Still, it is too bad about Haley. Unlike everyone else, I actually thought she was too good for you."

Everyone looked to Nathan for his response. But he never replied. As much as Nathan would like to tell Adam to fuck off, even he couldn't argue with that.

~***~

"Hello," Haley answered her cell phone on the second ring.

"Hales, it's me," Nathan said in a quiet voice. Even though his father was downstairs, he didn't want to chance Dan hearing him.

"Hey, I was just thinking about you."

Her comment brought a smile to his face. "Really?" he questioned, intrigued.

She giggled. "Yeah." Her tone then became more serious. "I've been worried about you."

"How ironic? I've been worried about you, too."

"I'm fine, Nathan."

"Are you sure?" he questioned, not believing her. He could hear the strain in Haley's voice. "Be honest."

"It just…today just sucked, you know?" she sighed. "I hate pretending like you don't mean anything to me anymore. And I know that this was my big idea but—"

"It's not your fault," Nathan quickly cut in. "Honestly, Hales, this is the only way. Besides, I'd rather we faked the breakup than actually have one."

"I know. Me, too."

"Did anyone give you a hard time today?"

"Not really. Brooke and the others pretty much hovered around me the whole day. But I caught the end of a few conversations about us."

"What'd they say?"

Haley paused for a moment before answering, "Nothing important. But what about you? Lunch looked tense. Were your friends being jerks?"

"Some of them," Nathan replied, not going into the details. "But it's nothing I can't handle."

"Nathan!" Dan's voice boomed. Nathan could hear the sound of his heavy footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Hales, I got to go," Nathan said in a rush. "Dan's coming."

"Okay," she stated, frustrated.

Nathan wanted nothing more than to go over her house and comfort her. But since Dan was keeping him on such a short leash, that wasn't an option. "I love you. You know that?"

"I love you, too," she whispered.

"Nathan," Dan bellowed as he opened the bedroom door.

Nathan quickly snapped his phone shut. "Yeah?"

His father nodded towards his phone. "Who were you talking to?"

"Tim," he lied easily.

Much to Nathan's relief, Dan didn't press him further. "I need you to come with me."

"Why?"

"You'll see. Now let's go."

Nathan exhaled loudly as he followed his father outside to his SUV. He got in and within minutes they were driving along the dark and quiet streets of Tree Hill. The car itself was also silent. Nathan didn't really feel the need to make conversation with the man who was ruining his life.

"Your mother called today," Dan said. He came off very nonchalant—like the news was nothing.

Nathan's head snapped up at that. "She did?" He'd barely talked to his mom since he'd moved in with Dan. She'd been really upset with him. He wasn't entirely positive, but Nathan was sure that Deb knew something else was going between him and his father.

"She demanded that I let you stay with her this weekend—for Thanksgiving and all."

Nathan waited with bated breath. "What did you say?"

"I agreed."

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes. If I keep you all to myself, then she'll probably get pissed and go snooping around. And we don't want her to mess up the good thing we've got going between us, do we now?"

Nathan didn't answer as he tried to suppress the queasy feeling in his stomach at the reminder. At least he had something to look forward to for the weekend. Even if his mother gave him the cold shoulder during Thanksgiving, he wouldn't care. Anything would be better than this.

They were both quiet for the rest of the drive. When they finally arrived at their destination, Nathan frowned. _What the hell?_ They were at his father's car dealership.

"Why are we here?" Nathan asked as Dan unlocked the main door and held it open for him. He walked inside. Nathan couldn't remember the last time he'd been inside this place.

"You've been making some good changes in your life recently, Nathan. You're getting back on track."

Nathan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "So?"

"So I'm glad that you're refocusing on basketball. It's the most important thing you've got going for you. It's everything."

"Okay…"

"Most people don't realize what they have until it's gone."

"Dad, seriously, what's your point?" Nathan pushed, growing impatient.

"I've decided to give you a job here."

Nathan stared at him in shock. "I'm sorry, what?"

"There's a lot at stake with your basketball career this year, Nathan," Dan explained. "And I want you to be aware of what will happen if you let it slip through your fingers."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that this will be your future if you're not careful," he said, gesturing around him. "And I highly doubt that you want to be haggling over floor mats with losers who have bad credit for the rest of your life. So you'll be working here everyday for a few hours after school and practice," Dan informed him.

"Dad—" Nathan began to protest. He didn't want to work here. He didn't want to be around his father anymore than he absolutely had to.

"And you'll do well to remember that nothing can be taken for granted," Dan sternly declared. "Understand?"

Nathan could feel even more invisible weight being placed on his shoulders. _This just keeps getting better and better._


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Nathan walked tentatively into the kitchen. He saw his mother sitting at the counter peeling potatoes. Ever since he'd arrived at the house earlier that morning, she'd barely said more than a "hello" to him. It was awkward. He couldn't remember the last time that things had been so tense between them.

They'd started getting close soon after Deb had told him that she wanted to divorce Dan. Both had been eager for freedom from that man. They bonded over that need. No matter what happened with the divorce, they were supposed to be in it together.

But that had changed now. His mother thought that Nathan had sided with his father. That he had turned his back on her. And as much as Nathan would like to tell her the truth—to put her mind at ease—he couldn't. So now that relationship they'd started to build was strained—at a stalemate. Just another casualty of Dan's usual devious plans.

"Did you want some help with those?" Nathan offered. It was a few more hours before his Uncle Cooper would arrive.

Nathan had always looked up to his uncle. Cooper was in his late twenties. He'd been married once to some model, but it hadn't worked out. The gold digger had cheated on him and then tried to take practically everything he owned in the divorce settlement. It had devastated Cooper.

His uncle was a racecar driver and was pretty well-off when it came to money. But finances had never mattered to him. He really had loved his wife. Ever since then his uncle just seemed to bounce from woman to woman. Nathan wondered which flavor of the month he'd be bringing to dinner this year.

Nathan waited for his mom's response. She remained silent. She didn't even look up.

"Or I could set the table," he tried again.

Still nothing.

Nathan sighed and walked over to the fridge to get a soda. He wanted to be mad at her. He wanted to ask her why the hell she would even want him to spend the holiday weekend with her if she was just going to ignore him. But as frustrating as her behavior was, he understood it. And even though it hurt him, he'd much rather deal with his mother giving him the silent treatment than his father riding him all of the time.

Nathan glanced at his mother once more before heading towards the doorway.

"You could make the salad." Her voice was so soft that he almost didn't hear.

Nathan turned around and was even more surprised to see her looking up at him. He nodded as she wordlessly gestured to the large bowl, uncut lettuce, and vegetables next to her. "Sure."

"Chop the lettuces first," Deb instructed.

Nathan did as he was told. He grabbed a large knife from the drawer and began his task. "Is that good?" he questioned.

Deb looked over. "Just make the pieces a bit smaller." He cut them up further. "Yeah. That's good."

They worked in complete silence, once again. It wasn't until Nathan was about to place the chopped lettuce in the bowl that Deb spoke up. "There's a strainer by the sink. Place it in there."

"Why?" Nathan asked, confused.

"You have to wash it under the water first and then let it drain," she informed him. "But do that after you've added the rest of the ingredients."

"Got it."

She peeled the last potato before placing them all in a plastic bowl and mashing them. "So, how have you been?" Deb questioned. Her tone was even and casual. "Are things going well at school?"

"Yeah."

"And basketball?"

"The team has been doing well. We won our last game."

"Good," Deb commented. "And how are things between you and Haley?"

Nathan glanced down at the tomato he was cutting. It took effort not to choke on the lie. "They're great."

_If you don't count our fake breakup and having to pretend that the other doesn't exist all of the time_, he added to himself.

"Great," she said. Her tone was still flat.

Nathan had just started cutting the celery when he heard his mother sigh loudly.

"I know that you think I'm mad at you, Nathan," Deb declared as she mashed the potatoes with a little more force.

"Aren't you?" he mumbled in a low voice.

Deb shook her head. "I'm not. Honestly."

"We've barely talked in weeks, Mom," Nathan pointed out.

"I know. And I'm sorry that I've been so cold and distant towards you," she apologized. "I guess I'm just…I'm just sad and a bit lonely. I sit around in this big, empty house asking myself if it was worth it."

Nathan frowned. "If what was worth it?"

"The divorce. Losing you. I'm worried about you, Nathan."

"Mom—"

"I already know what you're going to say, Nathan, but I know better. I know that you're keeping something from me," she stated. "And I have no doubts in my mind that your father is behind it. I mean, the divorce has gone through. There must be something else keeping you from coming home."

Nathan felt his stomach clench when the tears formed in his mother's eyes.

"Or maybe I was just fooling myself into believing that I'd finally become a good enough mother."

"Mom," he murmured. "That's not it. Trust me."

Deb pushed the bowl away from her and wiped at her eyes. "Then just tell me what's going on, Nathan. Please? What did Dan say to you? I can't help you if you don't let me in!"

"Mom, I can't tell you."

"Nathan!"

"I'm serious. If I could, I would," Nathan explained, trying to make her understand. "Believe me, I would. But it's not that simple. And if you want to help me, you'll let it go."

"It's Thanksgiving. We should be able to share this day without such a divide between us. I feel like I'm losing you, Nathan."

Nathan pulled his mother into his arms and held her as she cried. He could feel the guilt and shame building within the pit of his stomach. He hated putting her through this. He hated making the ones he loved suffer as he stood by, helpless. And what was worse, there didn't appear to be any end to this madness in sight.

~***~

"This is so good."

"Brooke!"

"What?"

"Stop eating that."

"But this smells really delicious. And I'm hungry," the brunette excused.

"Brooke," Haley replied, giving her a stern look.

Brooke rolled her eyes and placed the tin foil back over the stuffing. "Fine. Happy now?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Something smells good," Lucas said as he entered the kitchen.

"Don't even think about it, Scott," Haley warned. She knew her best friend, and he was just as bad as Brooke when it came to sneaking food before dinner.

"Haley's being a total Food Nazi," Brooke told Lucas.

"Hey, Karen told me to hold down the fort while she and Keith went to the store to get some things. If either one of you was in charge, you'd eat it all and there would be no food for later," Haley defended.

"We would not," Lucas denied. But Haley knew that he was lying.

"Jeez, Tutor Girl, are you always this grumpy during the holidays?" Brooke teased.

"I'm not grumpy. I'm just…focused."

Brooke looked at her in disbelief. "Uh-huh."

"Why did we let your parents leave you with us again?" Lucas joked while nudging Haley playfully.

Haley's parents had traveled to her sister Quinn's house in New Jersey this year for Thanksgiving. They were planning on staying for a week after the holiday. Haley didn't really mind them leaving. She had school again on Monday and didn't want to miss anything. She hated making up work. Plus, Lucas and Karen were like a second family to her anyway.

"Because you love me," Haley declared with a cheeky smile. "Oh, and my parents called today. They told me to tell you and your mom thanks."

A wide grin formed on his face. "Well, we are pretty awesome."

"Don't I know it," Brooke spoke up. "I've never been to a Thanksgiving dinner where nobody was drinking and making death threats at each other."

Haley shot her friend a sympathetic smile. She knew that the brunette was talking about her parents. They definitely weren't the nicest people in the world. Haley was glad that Brooke could get away from them and spend a nice, normal Thanksgiving with her and Lucas.

"Well, we're happy to have you," Lucas declared as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Brooke kissed him tenderly. "Thanks, Broody."

Haley glanced away from them and concentrated on making the cranberry sauce. The pair seemed to be having a private moment, and Haley didn't want to intrude.

"So, Tutor Girl, what's Nathan doing today?" Brooke questioned after a moment or so.

Haley felt her heart ache at the mention of his name. Things had been so difficult for them this week. They barely got a chance to talk or see one another because of their alleged "breakup." And when they weren't in school, Dan kept Nathan busy with training. It made it hard for them to meet up with one another.

"He's spending the day with his mom," she answered.

"I thought she was mad at him," Lucas stated.

"I think she is. But she's still his mom and probably wants to spend any time that she can with him. It's hard now that he's living with Dan on a regular basis."

"And I thought my parents were bad," Brooke muttered. "Dan Scott makes them look like saints."

"Will you be seeing him again soon?" Lucas asked. Haley could see the concern gleaming in his eyes. "I know that it's been hard for you both with what's going on at school and everything."

"Actually, um, I had to ask you about that," Haley replied.

"Ask me about what?"

"Well, I was thinking of inviting him over here later on. I mean, he's not at Dan's so he can pretty much do what he wants," she explained. "It's really the only time he'll be able to see any of us without having to sneak around so much."

"Oh."

"I mean, if that's okay with you and your mom," Haley quickly added.

Lucas smiled. "Hales, it's fine. He's my brother. He should be with us."

Both Haley and Brooke exchanged grins.

"What?" he questioned skeptically.

"It's nothing. We just love it when you say that," Brooke said.

"Say what?"

"That Nathan is your brother," Haley elaborated.

"So? He is."

"But it's so cute that you both admit it now," Brooke gushed.

"The brotherly bonding you guys do is very adorable."

"We do not bond."

"Yes, you do," Haley replied.

"Not uh."

"Yeah huh."

"Haley—"

"Come on, you so do. Before Dan's stupid rule, we couldn't get you guys away from the River Court."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Whatever. We were practicing for games. We want to go to the championships this season."

"We know that. But you guys didn't have to hang out that much. You're like total bff's now," Brooke teased.

"Whatever," Lucas repeated and began to leave.

"Where are you going, Broody?"

"To watch the basketball game on ESPN."

"Why don't you invite Nathan over so you can watch it together?" Haley called. "We know you miss him, too."

"I do not!" he stubbornly proclaimed from the other room. "And don't you have food to cook?"

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Broody," Brooke shouted. "Brothers are supposed to bond. It's a natural part of life."

The pair heard Lucas mutter something unintelligible and laughed. They loved busting him up.

~***~

"This dinner is delicious, sis," Cooper complimented.

"Thank you."

"I love the salad," Cooper's new girlfriend Jenna said.

"Nathan made it."

Cooper turned to look at his nephew. "You did?"

"Yeah."

"Wow. The last time I heard of you cooking was, well, never," he joked.

Nathan laughed. "Well, it is only salad, Uncle Coop."

"True."

"Well, it's very good. I wish Coop would make something healthy like this once in a while."

"Hey, I make healthy dinners," Cooper protested.

"Babe, you put bacon on practically everything."

"Bacon really isn't bad for you."

"It is if you eat it constantly," Jenna argued.

Cooper shrugged. "You like bacon, Nate?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm not crazy about it, but I do like it."

"Then what's your favorite food?" Jenna asked as she placed a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear.

"Prime rib," Nathan answered.

Deb shook her head and smiled. "Men and meat."

Jenna nodded in amused agreement.

Cooper shrugged. "Hey, to each his own."

"I'm with Coop on that one," Nathan declared.

"So, Nathan, Cooper tells me that you're a senior," Jenna stated.

"Yeah."

"You must be happy about that. I graduated from high school three years ago, and I still have nightmares about exams."

Nathan noticed his mom shoot a questioning look to Cooper. It seemed like he was dating another woman that was probably too young for him. Jenna was pretty and nice. But she couldn't be more than twenty-one.

"So, Jenna, are you in college right now?" Deb asked.

"No. I went for a year before dropping out."

"Oh."

"Jenna wants to be an actress," Cooper explained.

"Really?"

"Yup. I plan on moving to New York in another month."

Deb glanced at Cooper, once again, before smiling at the younger woman. "Interesting. And will you and Cooper be keeping in touch?"

"You know, enough about us," Cooper quickly interjected. Nathan had to hold back a laugh. His uncle's reaction just now already told him that he wasn't serious about this girl. Not that that wasn't obvious from the beginning. "I believe we were talking about Nate. So, how is the team this year?"

"We're doing really well. I think we'll finally make it to the state championship."

"That's good to hear," he replied. "And according to you mother, I heard that you and a certain teammate have finally put aside your differences."

Nathan automatically knew that he was referring to Lucas. "We have."

"I bet Danny Boy loves that."

Nathan noticed his mother tense out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, not so much."

"Who's Danny?" Jenna asked.

"My sister's asshole of an ex-husband."

"Cooper!" she scolded.

"What? It's true. Just ask my sister. She finally divorced the loser."

"You don't have to say it like that. Besides, I'm sure Deb doesn't want to talk about him," Jenna said while giving his mother a sympathetic smile.

Nathan was happy to see his mother return the gesture.

"I wouldn't. Thank you."

Jenna elbowed Cooper. "See."

Nathan grinned when he saw his uncle roll his eyes. "Okay. Sorry. I won't mention him again," Cooper promised.

"So, Nathan, besides basketball, what else is there?" Jenna inquired. He could tell that she was trying to change the topic. "You're really cute. You must have a girlfriend, right?"

"I do."

"What's her name?"

"Haley."

"Ah, yes, the famous Haley my sister has been telling me about," Cooper said and winked towards Deb. "Your mom seems to think she's perfect for you. What's she like?"

Nathan shifted a bit under their gazes. There were so many wonderful qualities about Haley. He didn't even know where to begin. "Um, she's smart. Like, really smart. She's most likely going to be the valedictorian of our class."

"Wow," Jenna commented.

"She's really nice, too. But she can be tough when she needs to me," Nathan explained, smirking. "She doesn't put up with people's crap."

"What does she look like?"

"Beautiful," Nathan answered while thinking about her.

Cooper and the others laughed. "You want to elaborate on that, Nathan?"

"She's blonde, a little on the short side, and…well, she has a really great butt."

"Nathan," Deb playfully reprimanded.

"That's such a guy answer," Jenna giggled.

"Wow. She sounds great. What is she doing with a knucklehead like you?" Cooper teased.

Nathan shrugged. "I don't know. I just got lucky, I guess."

"That's so sweet. You seem to really care about her," Jenna commented.

"I do," he answered honestly. If it was any other girl but Haley, Nathan probably would've clammed up or downplayed it when people asked about her. He wasn't always that big into sharing details. But she was such an important person to him. Nathan wanted others to see just how amazing she really was.

It was then that Nathan felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and checked it.

"Who is it?" Deb asked.

"Judging from the goofy grin on his face, I'm going to guess it's Haley," Cooper declared.

Nathan glared at his uncle jokingly. "It is."

"What does she want?" Deb questioned.

"She's over at Lucas' house for dinner. She was wondering if I wanted to stop by later and hang out with them."

"You should go."

Nathan looked at his mom, surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, go have fun with your friends. I've got this idiot and his lovely girlfriend to keep me company."

"Hey!" Cooper protested with mock offense.

All of a sudden, Nathan felt his mood brighten. It was so relaxing being home again with his mom. There wasn't this pressure to always be on his guard and watch what he was doing. It was a sense of freedom he hadn't felt in a while. And he was definitely going to take advantage of it while he could.

~***~

"I'll get it!" Haley announced as she headed for the front door. The doorbell had rung a second earlier. She made sure to fix her hair and outfit before opening it. A huge smile formed on her face when she saw her boyfriend standing in front of her.

"Hey—" He didn't even get to finish his greeting before Haley grabbed onto his tie and pulled him towards her.

Their mouths met in a fierce and hungry kiss. Without breaking contact, Nathan walked them back into the house while shutting the front door with his foot. The feel of her tiny hands now gripping his shirt and pulling him closer made his body shake with just as much need for her.

Haley moaned at the onslaught of Nathan's lips against hers. She'd missed their closeness so much. It wasn't long before she felt his tongue tracing the outline of her lips. She gladly opened her mouth for him. The two didn't break away until air became an absolute necessity. Even then, neither one let go of the other.

Nathan rested his forehead against hers. "Hi."

"Hi." She smiled back, breathless.

Nathan glanced around them. He'd been so caught up in Haley that he forgot they were standing in the entryway of Luke's house. Anyone could've spotted them.

"Keith and Karen went for a walk. Lucas and Brooke are hanging out in his room," Haley answered his silent question.

"Good," he said, kissing her once more.

"Are you hungry? We have a lot of food left over."

Nathan shook his head. "No. I ate a lot at my house. I'll be good until tomorrow night."

Haley giggled. "Tell me about it. I'm stuffed."

"Tutor Girl, where'd you go?!" Brooke called from down the hall. "Is Boy Toy with you?"

"We'll be right there," she shouted back. Haley faced Nathan, once again. "How long can you stay?"

"As long as I want. That's the beauty of staying with my mom."

She smiled excitedly. "Good. I missed you."

Nathan pulled her in for a long, deep kiss. "I missed you, too, baby."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Ugh, I hate this stuff!"

"You've almost got it," Haley encouraged. "Just keep at it."

It was Tuesday morning, and she was in the Tutoring Center with Adam. He couldn't make his session after school, so Haley had used her free period to meet with him. There were a few other people in the room. At first, Haley thought that Adam was going to suggest that they go someplace else or reschedule. He didn't want others to know that he was being tutored.

Surprisingly, he didn't seem to have a problem being around his peers today. Haley was glad. She'd tried telling Adam that he didn't have to be embarrassed about getting help. It seemed as if he was finally starting to listen to her.

"Did you get your test back from last week?" Haley asked after a few minutes.

"I should later today. I have it last period," he answered.

"Bring it with you next time, and we'll go over how you did."

"Okay." He finished writing and slid his paper over to Haley. "Is that the answer?"

Haley checked it over and smiled. "Perfect."

Adam grinned, too. "Finally."

"See, you can do it."

"I still suck, though."

"You're getting better."

"Thanks to you."

"Well, let's see how you did on that test before you start thanking me," she joked and started to gather her things together.

"What class do you have next?"

"English."

"That's got to suck."

Haley looked up and frowned curiously. "Why?"

"Because Scott's in that class with you, right?"

"Oh," Haley muttered, cringing. It had been two weeks since she and Nathan staged their breakup. It always made her uncomfortable when people asked her about Nathan or gossiped about them. She constantly had to be on guard. This whole pretending thing seriously sucked.

Adam seemed to notice her hesitance. His interpretation, however, was different. "Not going well?"

_It would look like that, wouldn't it? _she thought to herself.

"It's, um, it's hard," she replied. That, at least, was the truth.

"You're not thinking about going back with him, are you?" Adam questioned.

Haley kept her focus on putting away her books. "Why would you say that?"

"Scott's a smooth talker. It's why Peyton Sawyer kept going back with him when they were together. He'd treat her like crap, she'd get pissed, he would give her some rehearsed apology, and then they would just pick up where they left off," Adam explained. "It's his style."

Haley bit back the urge to point out to Adam that his own dating history had been just as infamous around school. She didn't like it when people talked badly about Nathan. He wasn't the person he used to be. He was so much better than most gave him credit for. Of course, nobody could know that. She had to play the role of the fed up ex-girlfriend.

"Well, that's not what it was like with us," Haley responded.

"There are still a lot of rumors going around."

Haley didn't say anything as she zipped up her backpack.

"Are you ever going to say what really happened?" he prompted.

She sighed. "Adam, it's really none of anyone else's business. It was between Nathan and me."

"I'm sure your other friends know. Definitely Lucas, right?"

"He is my best friend," she vaguely replied.

"I'm surprised he didn't beat the shit out of Nathan. I mean, you know their history."

Haley shifted in her seat awkwardly. "Well, I broke up with Nathan. So there really wasn't any reason for Lucas to go after him."

"But he probably hates him again, though. Huh?"

"They're not going to kill each other if that's what you're getting at," Haley declared. "They're at least past that." She was feeling more and more on edge with this conversation. She just wanted to get out of there. Haley stood up to leave.

"Haley, wait."

She looked down at his hand that was now holding hers. "I'm going to be late for class, Adam." She discretely tried to pull away, but his grip was firm.

"I'll make it quick," he promised.

She tried to appear normal. "What is it then?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I think you made the right choice. I've had a falling out recently with Nathan myself."

That caught Haley's attention. "What?" Nathan hadn't mentioned anything about it to her.

"He's not the person that I thought he was. He's changed. I don't blame you for leaving him. Personally, I think you were too good for him. The guy can be a real ass."

Haley kept her mouth shut. Her mind was going a mile a minute. There were so many things she wanted to say but couldn't.

"Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that you're a cool person, Haley. And I like to think of you as a friend. So, if you ever need someone else to talk to besides Lucas, I'm here."

Haley swallowed the lump in her throat. This couldn't be happening. Not again. "Um, thanks," she said. This time, she was successful in pulling her hand away. "I should really get to class."

"Okay. Are we still on for tomorrow afternoon?"

"Uh, yeah. I'll see you later, Adam." She then quickly picked up her backpack and bolted from the room.

~***~

Haley went straight to her locker and leaned her head against it. She was so confused at the moment. She didn't know what was going on.

"Are you okay?"

Haley jumped at the voice behind her. She inwardly groaned when she saw Shelley. "I'm fine," she stated.

"You sure?"

"Yup."

"Okay."

"What do you want, Shelley?" Haley inquired when she didn't continue.

"We're having a Clean Teen meeting tonight. I thought that maybe you'd want to attend."

"I already told you that—"

"I know. But I thought I'd try. I heard that you broke up with Nathan. I think it was a smart move," she said. "I'm sure it's hard. So if you need someone to talk to—"

"Ugh, what is it with people today? I have friends, you know. If I want to talk to someone, I can talk to them," Haley retorted, frustrated.

Shelley just stared at her sympathetically, which only served to anger Haley more. "The offer still stands. Just consider it. We're not as bad as you might think."

Haley watched the blonde leave before opening up her locker. She threw her books inside a little rougher than necessary. Today was not her day.

"Whoa, Tutor Girl, anger management much?" Brooke teased. Peyton laughed along with her.

Haley sighed. "I'm just…today sucks."

Brooke watched her carefully for a minute. "Okay, who are they and what did they say?" she demanded.

"Honestly, Brooke, don't bother."

"Are you sure? You seem really upset," Peyton noted.

"I'm just tired," Haley excused.

Brooke and Peyton stared at her skeptically. After a few seconds, the bell rang. They only had a minute to get to class.

"Come on, Brooke, we'll be late for calculus," Haley said.

"Okay. Later, P. Sawyer."

"Later, B. Davis."

Haley didn't miss the pointed glance they exchanged before she and Brooke made their way to class. Lucas was already there. They took their usual seats next to him.

"The teacher isn't here yet?" Haley asked.

"I don't think she's in today. I think we have a sub," Lucas replied.

"Yes!" Brooke cheered.

"You do realize that we're still most likely going to have to do work, right?" Haley reminded her.

"Who cares? With the teacher gone, I can just copy off of you guys."

Haley and Lucas laughed while rolling their eyes.

"That's really noble of you, Pretty Girl."

"I don't care. I loathe calculus."

A couple of minutes later, their substitute teacher walked into the room. She was a little old lady. Her hair was died an unnatural shade of black. She was also hunched over due to a serious case of osteoporosis, Haley assumed. But the worst part was her perfume. It was so strong. The woman wasn't even in the room five minutes and the stench was already spreading.

Haley had had her before. The lady could be kind of mean, too. It was sure to be a torturous class.

"What is that awful smell?" Brooke asked while plugging her nose.

Haley snickered as Lucas chuckled softly to himself. He'd had this lady before, too.

"Quiet, everyone!" she ordered.

Haley cringed. _Does she have to yell already?_

Once the class had quieted down, the woman wrote their assignment on the board. The entire class groaned when they realized they had to do thirty problems from their books.

"Seriously, her old lady perfume is making me nauseous," Brooke muttered as they opened their books. Luckily, they could still talk as long as they kept their voices soft.

"You wanted a sub," Haley teased.

"Now I take it back."

"It'll be over soon enough, Cheery," Lucas assured her.

"That's if I don't die of the fumes first."

Haley and Lucas looked at one another and shook their heads in amusement. Brooke could be so dramatic sometimes. But they still loved her.

"So, Tutor Girl, are you gonna tell me what's got your panties in a bunch today or what?" Brooke inquired after they did the first few problems.

Lucas glanced at Haley. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Brooke said at the same time Haley said, "No."

"Okay, fine," Haley relented when Brooke glared at her. "It's been a weird morning."

"What happened?" Lucas prodded.

"Well, you know that person I'm tutoring."

"Which person? You tutor a lot of people, Hales."

"That person who I told you not to tell anyone that I'm tutoring."

"Oh," he said as the realization hit him. "Got it."

"What?" Brooke spoke up.

"Nothing. Anyway, he was talking to me about Nathan and how he's such a jerk."

"Like he isn't," Lucas scoffed.

"Who?" Brooke interjected.

"I know. I mean, he's nice to me, but I've heard some things myself. But that's not the point. I found out that he actually had a falling out with Nathan."

"Who did?"

"When?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know. Nathan didn't tell me, and he didn't mention it either. Anyway, he said that if I ever needed someone to talk to besides you, he was around."

Lucas stared at her in confusion. "Why would he say that?"

Brooke looked between them. "Who said what?"

"I don't know," Haley continued. "It was weird. I kind of got this vibe, though."

"What kind of vibe?"

"Like _The_ vibe."

Lucas didn't look happy about that. "Uh-oh."

"Yeah. I know."

"Know what?" Brooke tried again.

"I don't know what to do."

Brooke groaned out loud in frustration. "Will you two freaking talk to me?!"

"We're talking about this guy that Haley is tutoring," Lucas explained.

"I got that part. Who is he?" she pushed.

"I can't tell you. I promised him I wouldn't let people know that I was tutoring him," Haley stated.

"Then why does Lucas know?"

"He found out by accident."

"If he likes you, then I think you should stop tutoring him."

"Wait, this guy likes her?" Brooke cut in.

"I don't know. But like I said, I keep getting this vibe from him," Haley said. Sure, Adam sometimes was a little pushy and tried to find out her business. But now it seemed kind of different. The way he would look at her sometimes or say things like he'd said earlier, it was a bit too friendly. Haley sure as hell knew that from experience.

"Stop tutoring him," Lucas repeated.

"I can't, Lucas. I promised him that I would help him."

"It sounds like you've helped him enough. Now he's getting too comfortable with you. And with Nathan hypothetically out of the picture…" Lucas hinted.

"I know." Nathan would be pissed if he thought someone was possibly hitting on her. Haley wasn't sure what he'd do.

"Okay, even though I don't know this guy's name since you two losers won't tell me, I think it's totally possible that he likes you, Tutor Girl."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I am the gossip queen, and I hear everything that people say. Which includes some of the guys that were talking to their friends about asking you out," Brooke proclaimed.

Haley gawked at her, stunned. "Excuse me?" Since when did other guys want to ask her out?

"It's true," the brunette confirmed. "You're the first girl to dump Nathan."

"Didn't Peyton dump Nathan?" Lucas reminded her.

"Not really. They had so much drama and were so back and forth that it was a mutual decision by the end. They couldn't stand each other anymore—at least when it came to being a couple. And most people couldn't keep track of them anyway."

"What does any of this have to do with me?" Haley questioned.

"If Nathan Scott, the supposed 'king' of the school can't hold onto you, then that's something. So if one of these other buttheads manages to land you, then it's like they one-upped him," Brooke explained. "Plus, it helps that you're hot."

Haley scrunched up her face in disgust. "That is so…caveman."

Brooke laughed. "Welcome to the world of teenage boys where rivalry and testosterone rule and you, my dear, are the prize."

Haley covered her face with her hands in defeat. "Oh crap."

~***~

Nathan left his history class and breathed a sigh of relief. The school day was finally over. He was actually looking forward to basketball practice for a change. Aside from working out his frustrations on the court, it gave him a chance to be near Haley for a little while. He couldn't talk to her, but he'd settle for the stolen glances they often exchanged.

Nathan nodded to a few people in the hallway as they said hi to him. He had to go to his locker and get rid of his books and grab his gym bag. He'd just about rounded the corner when he bumped into a pair.

"Sorry," he began to apologize. He did a double-take. "Haley?"

She gave him a small, nervous smile. "Oh, hi, Nathan."

Nathan's eyes shifted over to Adam. He felt his whole body tense when he saw the satisfied grin on his face. "Hey, Nate. Sorry we hit you. It was our fault. We weren't paying attention."

"Since when do the two of you hang out?" he questioned edgily.

"I just—" Haley began when Adam interrupted her.

He put his arm around Haley's shoulders. "Oh, Haley and I are great friends."

Nathan's eyes narrowed at that. _What the hell is he doing touching my girlfriend?_ Granted, it's not like Adam knew that he and Haley were still together. But it was obvious from the look on Haley's face that she was uncomfortable.

"It's no big deal," Haley spoke up. Nathan could tell that she was trying to diffuse the situation. "Um, I should get going. I've got to get to cheerleading practice."

She discreetly tried to move away from Adam. In the process, she pulled a little too hard and lost her balance. Nathan instantly stepped forward and caught her by the waist before she fell.

"Thanks," she muttered while giving his arms a gentle squeeze.

"Are you—" He didn't even get to finish his sentence before Adam was pushing him away and stepping in front of Haley.

"Get your filthy hands off of her, Scott."

"You better back the hell up, Sykes," Nathan gritted through his teeth.

"Or what?" he challenged, getting in his face.

Nathan could feel his temper skyrocket. "Or I'm gonna beat your ass. That's what."

"I'd like to see you try."

Nathan laughed humorlessly before grabbing Adam by the collar and slamming him up against a nearby locker. "Don't fucking test me, punk."

"Stop it!" Haley ordered as she rushed over to them. "The both of you just knock it off right now."

The next thing Nathan knew, he was being pulled off of Adam. He looked over to see that it was Lucas standing next to him.

"What the hell is going on here?" Lucas questioned.

"You were just about to take Nathan to practice."

"Haley—"

"Nathan, go. Please." She added in a whisper, "You're causing a scene."

It was in that moment that he noticed all of the people staring at them in the hallway.

"You know that Dan will be pissed if you get into a fight," Haley told him quietly.

It took a minute for the fog of rage to clear from his mind. Nathan still wanted to beat Adam to a bloody pulp, but Haley was right. That last thing he needed right now was to get in trouble for fighting. Both Dan and Whitey would not be pleased about that.

"Run along, Nate," Adam sneered.

Nathan's head snapped up at that. He was about to say something back when Haley beat him to it.

"Don't push him, Adam," she said in a stern voice. "You're no saint in this either." Afterward, she sent a look to Lucas.

He nodded in understanding. "Come on, Nate," Lucas stated, ushering him towards the gym.

Before leaving, Nathan shot a questioning glance at Haley. He wanted to know where she would be. If she went back with Adam, he would definitely lose it again. Nathan knew that Haley understood when she called out to Lucas. "I'll be there in a couple of minutes. I'm going to meet up with Brooke and Peyton first."

"Okay," Lucas replied and elbowed him to get moving.

Nathan begrudgingly followed Lucas to the gym, fighting the urge to look back the whole time.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Thank you for calling Scott Motors, how can I help you…? One moment please." Nathan pushed the hold button and transferred the call to the sales department.

He sighed as he hung up the phone. He'd been working five days a week for the last two weeks at his father's car dealership, and he was bored out of his mind. It sucked when he had to go straight there after basketball practice. Nathan was tired and had a ton of homework to do. But Dan Scott wanted his son not to take his privileged life for granted.

Well, it was a mission accomplished, because Nathan never wanted to be stuck taking calls and dealing with moody car customers for a living. He'd gladly stick to basketball. That was for damn sure.

"Nathan."

He looked up to see his father approaching him. Nathan's small desk was over in a corner. The tiny cubicle almost totally surrounding it blocked anyone from peeking in or out—except for Dan. The small opening just so happened to be facing Dan's office. And since his walls were made of glass, it allowed him to keep a constant eye on Nathan.

_Now what? _he thought with a groan.

"What is it, Dad?"

He placed a pile of papers on his desk. "I need you to make copies of these for me. Then put them in their own individual files. Can you handle that?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "It's not that hard, Dad."

"Good," he said with a satisfied grin. "I need those finished before you leave tonight."

Nathan wanted nothing more than to tell Dan to shove it. He had a secretary. The only reason Dan was giving this task to him was to keep him busy. Nathan only worked four hours, but it always felt like an eternity.

Nathan glanced at the clock once Dan had left. "Three hours left," he mumbled to himself. "Great."

He got up and walked over to the ancient copy machine that also inhabited the limited space in his cubicle. He'd only gotten through a quarter of the pile before the phone rang. Nathan walked over to his desk and picked up the phone. "Thank you for calling Scott Motors, how can I help you?" He rolled his eyes at the cheesy yet mandatory line.

"Nathan."

His ears instantly perked up when he heard her voice. Nathan quickly surveyed his surroundings to make sure that Dan wasn't standing nearby. He then sat back down at his desk so he was out of sight. "Hales?"

"Hey, are you busy?"

"I'm just copying some stuff. It's nothing major," he answered before lowering his voice. "What's up? I thought we agreed you wouldn't call here."

There was no doubt in Nathan's mind that his phone calls were being monitored. It happened to every employee in the company. But Nathan was positive that Dan would be taking a special interest in him. That's why he and Haley agreed that she would never call him at the dealership.

"Well, I tried your cell, but you didn't pick up."

"That's because it died. I'm charging the battery."

"Oh. Well, don't worry. I'm using Peyton's house phone right now," she assured him.

"Okay. Good," he muttered. "So, why did you call again?"

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier. You know, with Adam." Her voice was cautious.

Nathan's fists clenched at the mention of his name. He really couldn't stand that guy. He'd never really liked Adam all that much in the past. Their friendship was based mostly on the fact that they were both jocks and good at the sports they played. Adam had always been an ass. Nathan just didn't notice it as much as he did recently.

"The guy's a jerk, and you should stay away from him. What else is there to say?"

"Nathan, it's not that simple."

Nathan frowned to himself. "Why do I get the feeling that there is something you're not telling me?" he questioned. He took her moment of silence as a bad sign. "Hal—" His words stopped short when he saw his father making his way towards him, once again.

"Uh, heck yes. We do sell those hybrid cars," Nathan quickly recovered. His father was within earshot now.

"Nathan, what are you—" she paused mid-sentence and was silent for a few seconds. He could just see picture the wheels in her head turning as she tried to figure out why he was talking so strangely now. "Is Dan there?"

"Yes."

"Crap," she muttered. "Is he going away?"

"No." He kept his voice as calm as possible. He could feel his father's gaze on him. Nathan definitely couldn't screw this up and make his father suspicious.

"Is there any way you could meet me tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah, it's all about going green, you know?"

He could hear her sigh on the other end. He didn't blame her. This talking in code really sucked.

"Is six o'clock in the morning okay?"

"Yes. It comes in a variety of colors," he continued his babble. "Which color did you want?"

"Is that spot on the Market Street Dock all right?"

"Yes, that would be perfect."

"Okay, Nathan, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure."

"I love you," she murmured.

He clutched the phone tighter and resisted the inkling to smile or show emotion. "You, too. Bye."

"Customer?"

Nathan gave him a small, strained smile as he hung up the phone. "How'd you know?" he answered sarcastically.

"I guess I'm just smart like that," he declared and placed some more papers on his desk. "I need these copied, too."

"Sure." Once his dad had disappeared again, Nathan ran his hands over his face.

_That was close._

~***~

Haley folded her arms to hold her jacket tighter to herself. It was cold and windy that morning on the dock. She checked her watch for a third time. _He's late_.

She hoped that Nathan was able to make it out of his house without any hassles from Dan. They really needed to talk about what happened yesterday. Nathan had looked livid when Adam had put his arm around her. Hell, she'd been surprised herself.

Haley had been at her locker sifting through which books she needed to do her homework that night. She hadn't even heard Adam come up behind her. The next thing she knew he was pulling her in for a hug. Apparently he'd done very well on that calculus test of his. Not wanting to be rude or spoil the moment for him, Haley had hugged him back.

When she noticed people in the hallway staring at them, she'd immediately pulled away. The last thing she wanted was for people to think that they were now an item. Afterward, she'd told Adam that she had to go to cheerleading practice. It was then that he offered to walk her to the gym. Haley had tried to decline, but he wouldn't take no for an answer.

She'd sighed in defeat and began walking with him towards the gym. That's when she bumped into Nathan. Haley had literally cringed when she realized it was him. She didn't want him getting the wrong idea. This whole pretending thing was hard enough. Haley didn't want Nathan to think that she was getting close to Adam or any other guy when he wasn't around.

Unfortunately, everything had seemed to escalate from there. Haley had been so pissed when Adam was goading Nathan. And when Nathan actually grabbed him by the neck and slammed him up against those lockers...she'd been so scared that there would be a fight. Luckily she'd managed to reason with Nathan. It also helped the Lucas had stepped in.

Haley had no idea what to expect today at school or from Nathan. As each day passed it felt like she was going deeper and deeper into some alternate universe.

"Haley."

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Nathan approaching her. "Hey."

"I'm sorry I'm late." He pulled her in for a hug and kissed her. "I had to get past Dan. I'm sure you can imagine how hard that was."

"Well, I'm glad that you're here now."

He looked over her appearance for a moment.

"What?" she questioned self-consciously.

"Did you do something to your hair? It looks wavier today."

"Uh, yeah. I'm just trying it out. Brooke thought it would look nice. I don't know," she mumbled with shrug.

"No, it looks great, Hales," he said while running a hand through her hair. "I like it."

"You do?"

"Yes. I happen to think wavy hair is very sexy," he teased in a husky voice.

She smiled. "Good to know. Maybe I'll keep it like this from now on."

Nathan smirked and guided her face back to his. He heard a small moan escape her when he kissed her longer this time. They very rarely got moments to themselves like this.

"So, you wanted to talk?" he questioned after they broke apart.

"Um, yeah. We never got to finish our conversation on the phone yesterday."

Nathan sighed and took a seat on the round wooden table. Haley followed suit. "I meant what I said. Adam is a jerk. The farther away from him you are the better."

"Nathan, why didn't you tell me you guys had a falling out?"

"Because it wasn't important," Nathan answered. He frowned a moment later. "And how did you know about that?"

"Adam told me."

Nathan felt his body go rigid. "When did he tell you?"

"Yesterday."

"Gee, Hales, I didn't realize that you two were such good friends," he commented sarcastically.

"We're not."

"That's not what it looked like yesterday," he retorted, getting heated at the mere memory. "He was all over you."

"Look, I can already see where you're headed with this, and I promise you it's not what you think," Haley explained.

"And what exactly do I think?"

"I'm technically not supposed to be telling anyone this, but I don't want you almost getting into another fight with him for no reason."

"It wasn't a fight. I was just putting him in his damn place."

"Regardless, it could've escalated if Lucas and I weren't there."

"So? He deserves to have his ass handed to him," he muttered.

Haley gave him a stern look. "Nathan Scott, don't you dare get into a fight with him. Do you hear me?"

"If he—"

"No," she said forcefully while taking his head in her hands. "Promise me you won't."

"Not until you tell me why you two are suddenly so damn close," Nathan shot back. He'd been thinking about it all night, and he couldn't figure it out. Haley had never mentioned talking or hanging out with Adam before. He'd always been under the impression that she didn't like him.

And then there were the times that Adam said that Haley was too good for Nathan. How would he know that? It's not like he really knew Haley. Or did he? He was so confused right now, and he sure as hell didn't like it.

"Fine. But you can't tell anyone else, because he doesn't want a lot of people knowing."

"Knowing what?"

"That he's being tutored."

"What?" He hadn't been anticipating that. "When did this happen?"

"He came to me about two months ago."

"What?!" Nathan exclaimed. "You've been with him for two months and you're just telling me this now?!"

"I haven't been with him," Haley objected, offended at his choice of words. "It was just tutoring."

Nathan scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure that's why he went to you."

"Are you serious right now?" Haley argued. "You really think he's doing awful in calculus just so he can be tutored by me?!"

"I wouldn't put it past him."

"Nathan," Haley said and stood up, "that's ridiculous."

"You don't know him, Hales," Nathan declared, also standing up. "He's not the most honest guy. He can be a real bastard when he wants to be."

"I'm just tutoring him, Nathan!" Haley exclaimed loudly. "That's it!"

"Well, it's obviously turned into something more if he's walking with you in the halls and has his hands all over you."

"I didn't know he was going to do that. And just what the hell are you implying? That I like him or something?"

"Do you?" he fired back.

Haley's mouth dropped open in shock. "I cannot believe you just asked me that with a straight face."

"Well, there are a lot of things that I'm apparently unaware of. I'm just making sure I didn't miss anything."

"You are being such an ass right now," she declared heatedly. "I don't like, Adam. I love you, you idiot!"

"Then stop tutoring him," he ordered.

"I can't do that, Nathan."

"Why not?"

"Because as a tutor, I have an obligation to help him. I can't just stop and let him fail because my boyfriend doesn't like him."

"Then find him a replacement."

"Everybody else's schedules are full. And I'm the one who's been working with him. He's used to me."

"Oh, he's used to you all right," Nathan snorted. "That's why he's suddenly defending your honor in the hallway now, huh?"

"Damn it, Nathan, if you'd put your stupid jealousy aside for one freaking minute, you'd know that I see this as just business. It's nothing personal with him."

"Well, apparently it's getting personal for him. And I am not jealous!" he proclaimed.

"Oh, you so are," she argued. "And I don't care what his stupid intentions are. I'm tutoring him. That's it. If it goes beyond that, I'll find a way to handle it."

"Like you handled Ryan this past summer? No offense, Haley, but you don't have the best track record when it comes to dealing with obnoxious jocks," he declared. "You think you're telling them off and they somehow think it's okay to shove their tongue down your throat. Am I going to have to stick around and pull Adam off of you, too, now?"

Haley opened her mouth to say something back, but nothing came out. Nathan's words had been a low blow. She'd dealt with Ryan as best she could. Haley had never had to fend off boys before—mostly because none of them ever seemed interested in her. And she'd never expected Ryan to pounce on her the way he did. It had scared her how forceful he was. Haley already felt so out of her element with all of this. She didn't want another repeat with Adam.

"I guess I can't do anything right, now can I?" she whispered.

Nathan inwardly cursed at himself when he saw the tears forming in her eyes. He didn't mean to say that to her. He didn't want to make her cry. He hated it when she was upset. Nathan was just so angry and frustrated by this situation that he'd unfairly taken it out on her.

"Hales." He took a step towards her.

She turned her back to him and walked to the railings.

Nathan sighed and ran an agitated hand through his hair. "I'm sorry," he apologized while coming up behind her. Haley still didn't turn around. But he could hear her sniffling.

"Haley." He gently reached out and turned her towards him. She tried to quickly wipe at her wet eyes, but it was no use. She was still crying. Nathan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him. She buried her head in his chest. Meanwhile, one of his hands stroked her hair as the other rubbed her back. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I didn't mean it."

"Yes, you did," she murmured, her voice hitching at the end.

"No, I didn't. That whole Ryan thing wasn't your fault. You told him to stop, and he wouldn't. He was a bad guy." Just thinking about the way Ryan had been all over her that time at camp made Nathan's blood boil. He'd never gotten so much satisfaction out of beating someone up as he did that day.

"I'm just…you're right. I'm jealous now like I was jealous then," he admitted softly. "I know it's no excuse, but you don't know how crazy it makes me to see other guys just merely looking at you. And when they go from just looking to touching, I lose it."

Haley lifted her head up to look at him. She closed her eyes when his hand came up to wipe away the moisture on her cheeks.

"I've never felt that way about anyone, Hales. _Ever_. I guess I'm still trying to learn how to deal with it."

"I'm not used to this either," she finally spoke. Her voice sounded raw from all of the crying. "It's always just been Lucas and me. He's the only guy I've had in my life, and all we've ever been is friends. As if this Adam thing isn't screwed up enough, Brooke was telling me yesterday that some other guys were thinking of asking me out. I'm just not used to guys…chasing me like this."

"I honestly can't believe that. I'm sure guys have always wanted you, Hales. It probably just wasn't as noticeable as it is now."

"It doesn't help that they want to play these stupid games, either. I don't care about things like that."

Nathan nodded in understanding. "Take it from a guy who's played them all. They suck. It's why I was so attracted to you in the beginning. You were different. You weren't into crap like that."

"And I'm still not. I just want it to be you and me. And our friends," she added. "The rest I could care less about."

Nathan leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "I'm sorry. I know that all this hiding is just as hard on you as it is on me."

Haley laid her head on his chest, once again. "And I miss you. We never get to see each other that much anymore."

"I know," he mumbled and rested his chin on her head. They could blame Dan for that one. "I am going to find a way to break away from my dad. I just need time to figure out how to do it."

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised.

He kissed her temple. "Good. And about this whole Adam thing—"

"Nathan—" she tried to interject.

"No, just listen," he requested while soothingly caressing her cheek. "I trust you. So whatever you decide to do, I'll support you."

"Thank you," she replied with a small smile. "That means a lot."

"Just be careful, baby, okay?"

"For the record, I don't trust him either," she told him. "But I don't want you worrying about it. You focus on Dan while I take care of this. Deal?"

"Deal," he answered and sealed it with a loving kiss.

"Nathan?" she questioned once they broke apart. Their current topic of conversation had got her thinking.

"Yeah?"

"Just out of curiosity, there haven't been any…I mean, girls haven't…" she trailed off, trying to form the words.

"Girls haven't what?"

"Your stupid groupies aren't all over you again, are they?" she finally got out.

Nathan smirked. "Why, Haley James, are you jealous?" he teased.

"No," she denied. He gave her a disbelieving look. "Maybe…yes."

He chuckled loudly. "If they are, I haven't noticed. In case you haven't heard the gossip, I'm still hung up on the one that got away."

"You know, I think I did hear that somewhere," Haley replied with a smile. She moaned a second later when he captured her lips in a heated kiss.

"Oh, I have something else to tell you," she said, pulling back.

He brought her face to his. "Kiss now. Talk later."

She got lost in him for another minute or two. The way he knew how to suck and nibble on her lips just right had her moaning all over again.

"It's really important," she declared breathlessly.

"What is it?" He trailed wet, open-mouth kisses down her neck.

"I-I got…"

Nathan smirked against her skin. He loved it when he literally kissed her senseless. "You got what?"

"I got into Stanford."


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys, thank you for the reviews last chapter. I'm sorry it's been so long. Things have been crazy these last couple of weeks. But school ends for me this week, so life should be settling down a bit more. Also, I'm sure there are many of you waiting for an update for MA. I'll be posting the new chapter on Friday. Until then, enjoy the chapter and please review.**

**

* * *

Chapter 18**

Haley quickly made her way into the Tutoring Center. She knew that it was risky to come to school after skipping that day. After she'd told Nathan earlier that morning about getting into Stanford, he'd been so happy and proud of her. He then insisted that they forget about school all together and just spend the day with each other celebrating.

Haley had hesitated at first. She'd never ditched school before. She hated missing classes even when she was sick. They didn't call her Tutor Girl for nothing. But when Nathan looked at her with those gorgeous and hypnotic baby blues of his, Haley just couldn't resist. Not to mention that it would give them some much needed time to catch up.

So they'd forgotten about school and focused on each other for most of the day. They'd stayed and talked at the docks until noon. For lunch they'd driven to the next town over and ate at a small diner. Afterward, they'd gone to a park across the street and just laid down in the grass, staring up at the sky. It was cold outside, but neither cared. They'd ordered some hot chocolate at the restaurant to take with them beforehand. The chilly December weather also gave Haley an excuse to snuggle up to Nathan. His strong arms and sensual kisses managed to keep her nice and toasty.

Eventually, they'd fallen asleep right in that spot. It was the perfect end to a perfect day together. It was a couple of hours later when they'd woken up that they realized how much time had passed. They both had obligations after school that couldn't be ignored. So they'd driven back to Tree Hill.

And here she was now—sneaking into the Tutoring Center.

"You're a little late."

"I know. Sorry," Haley apologized as she sat across from Adam.

"It's okay. I was worried that you weren't going to show at all when I didn't see you in school today."

Haley busied herself with getting all of her necessary books and things. "Oh, yeah. I wasn't feeling well earlier."

"There is a flu going around. You don't think you have that, do you? Because if you're sick, we don't have to do this today," Adam stated, concerned. He placed a hand on her arm.

Nathan's prior words of warning about Adam flashed in her mind. Adam looked sincere enough. But after seeing his behavior yesterday, she was starting to think that it was just an act. If Adam was mad and wanted to get back at Nathan, then did that mean his being nice to her was just part of some ploy? Nathan's reaction yesterday had signaled his protectiveness over her. Anyone watching the scene would've picked up on the fact that he still cared about her. And since Adam had continued to instigate Nathan, it was obvious that he'd caught that little detail, too.

Haley pulled her arm away and shrugged. "I'm fine now. But I've got cheerleading practice after this, so we won't have as much time together today. We should get started."

"Are you okay?" he questioned after staring at her for another moment.

"I told you that I'm fine—"

"I know that," he cut in. "It's just…"

"What?" Haley prodded when he didn't continue.

"You just seem a little…curt," Adam explained. "Are you mad at me or something?"

"I—" Haley was just about to dismiss his statement and come up with an excuse for her irritation with him when she suddenly paused.

She didn't want to pretend like everything was okay. She'd gone down that road before. Haley had let that stupid jerk Ryan over the summer think that his actions weren't unwelcome. She wasn't about to make that mistake again. Although it had hurt to hear it, Nathan had been right to a point when he said that those guys weren't getting the message. She wasn't dealing with them as forcefully as she should. It was time to take another approach.

"Actually, I am mad at you," Haley finally declared.

Adam looked at her, stunned. "Why? What did I do?"

"Why were you using me yesterday to goad on Nathan?"

"I wasn't using you," he denied.

"Yes, you were. You completely made a show of putting your arm around me and acting like we were best friends," she said. "You knew Nathan didn't like it and yet you kept pushing him. Why?"

"H-Haley," he sputtered. It wasn't hard to see that he was completely taken aback by her statement. "I…why do you care about Nathan anyway? You guys are done."

"You still haven't answered my question," she pointed out, refusing to be deterred.

"Well, we _are_ friends. And we both know that the guy's an ass. I saw the way he was looking at you. I was doing you a favor."

Haley shook her head, unimpressed. "Nathan is not an ass. He's a good guy. And we both know that what you did had nothing to do with me. You and Nathan are fighting now, and I was just used as some pawn to piss him off. And if we really were friends, you wouldn't do that to me."

"First of all, you don't know Nathan like I do. You may think that you've turned him into some saint, but he is far from it. And second, if you guys are really over, then why are you getting so worked up?" he challenged.

"Just because I broke up with him does not mean that I don't care or want to see him hurt," she argued. "And whoever that person Nathan was in the past is gone now. He really has changed. He's become one of the kindest and most honorable guys I know."

"If that's the case, then how come you're not still with him?" Adam retorted.

Haley opened her mouth to speak but came up short. She wanted to slap the satisfied smile off of Adam's face at her silence.

"You can't fool me, Haley. Something had to have happened for you to dump him."

"That's none of your business."

"You don't have to be scared of him."

"I'm not scared of him."

"Aren't you? You won't even say anything bad about him," he pointed out.

"Because I have nothing bad to say. And even if I did, I still wouldn't go around spreading that kind of stuff. I have more respect for both myself and others than to do something like that," she fired back.

"Well, I have more respect for you than to let Nathan Scott suck you back into his crap."

"I'm a big girl. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. And why do you care anyway?"

"Because I like you, Haley!" he exclaimed. "I really like you. I don't want to see anything bad happen to you."

Haley found herself inwardly cringing at his words. But she made sure to appear unaffected. "I'm fine. I can handle things myself," she defended.

"I know that. But you have to admit that it's nice to have someone looking out for you."

"I already have a best friend who does that. His name is Lucas," Haley declared. "And while we're on the subject, you're not very nice to him either."

"I barely know the guy."

"Which is why you acting like he doesn't exist or is beneath you is completely unfounded. And it's not like you know me either, Adam."

"I may not know everything, but I know enough. I've really enjoyed our tutoring sessions, Haley. I look forward to seeing you," Adam proclaimed. "I always hated school, but you make it interesting. You make me want to do better. You always have this infectious smile whenever I solve a problem and get it right. I love seeing that smile."

"Adam—"

"And I know that we don't know each other as well as we should, but I'd like to change that. Go out with me."

Haley could feel the panic forming in the pit of her stomach. This was the exact opposite of what she wanted to happen. "I can't."

"Come on, Haley. Just one date," he persuaded while taking her hand. "I know that we'll have a lot of fun."

"Adam," she said while shaking her head. She tried to pull her hand back but his grip remained firm. "I just…no."

"You don't have to worry about Nathan. It's over between the two of you. You don't owe him anything."

"It's not about that Adam."

"Sure, it is. You're worried that he's going to lose it like he did the other day. But you don't have to worry. I'll—"

"Adam, I mean it," Haley interrupted. She forcefully yanked her hand away from his. "My answer is no. I can't go out with you. I won't."

"Why not?" he challenged.

Haley ran a hand through her hair in frustration. This guy just wouldn't give up. "It's barely been two weeks since Nathan and I broke up. And even though I may have broken up with him, it doesn't mean that I'm okay with what happened."

"What did happen? You still haven't said."

Haley ignored his question. "And even if I wasn't upset, I still wouldn't feel comfortable going out with you because I don't trust you."

"You would if you got to know me better."

"Would I? Because from what I've seen lately, I don't think so. Despite you denying it, I can see that a part of you wants to get back at Nathan or show him up. And I refuse to be the person you use to tear him down."

"I'm not using you, Haley."

"Like you didn't yesterday?" she retorted.

"What can I say? Maybe I did get a little out of hand. But it's only because I'm so crazy about you, Haley," Adam explained with an imploring expression. "Nathan had his chance. We both know that he blew it. He doesn't have a right to be touching you and looking at you the way he does."

"The only person who can make that judgment is me. Not you. Whatever goes on between Nathan and me is none of your business," Haley informed him. "So from here on out, why don't you just leave the both of us alone."

She quickly gathered her things together and shoved them in her bag. She couldn't stay there a second longer. She'd had enough.

"Haley," he said when she stood up.

"I have to go."

"Haley," he yelled again as she stormed out the door. "What about our session?

~***~

"You got it?"

"Yeah," Nathan replied. The basketball team was in the weight room at the moment. Whitey wanted them to do some lifting before practice officially started. They'd all paired up before beginning.

Nathan had originally wanted to team up with Lucas. He needed to talk to him. But since he couldn't be caught hanging out with his brother that much anymore, Nathan had gone with Tim instead.

"Is that enough weight?" Tim questioned.

"It's fine," Nathan grunted. If it was any heavier, the bar would be on his throat.

"Anybody using this?" Lucas asked a couple of minutes later.

"No, man, go ahead," Tim answered.

Jake looked at Lucas and nodded to the bench. "You want to go first?"

"Sure."

Out of the corner of his eye, Nathan could see Lucas situate himself on the bench and Jake loaded up the weights. It wasn't long before Lucas was panting and grunting beside him.

"So, I noticed you weren't in school today?" Lucas said in such a soft voice that Nathan almost didn't hear him.

"Yeah?" He kept his own voice even and low, making sure that nobody near them would be able to listen in on their conversation. They needed to look casual.

"It was funny. Haley seemed to be missing, too."

"Crazy coincidence."

Lucas snorted. "So it would seem. Was everything okay?"

"She wanted to talk this morning."

"Did it have anything to do with you almost beating Adam's ass yesterday?" Tim cut in.

Nathan frowned as he took a breath and lifted the bar up, once again. "How'd you know about that?"

"Everybody knows," Jake answered. "It's been going around school all day."

"Figures," Nathan mumbled. "What story did they make up this time?"

"Somebody told me that Adam was making a move on Haley. You got jealous and threatened to break his neck if he ever went near her," Tim filled him in.

"Well, they got some of it right."

"Which parts?" Lucas inquired.

Tim laughed. "Who cares? I thought it sounded cool. You're a bad ass again, Nathan."

"Whatever," Nathan muttered with a roll of his eyes. "I will break that bastard's neck if he ever touches her again."

"So he did try to make a move on her?" Jake asked.

"I think so. I probably should've picked up on it sooner. I mean, with the way he's been talking about Haley lately, it's obvious he's into her. Either that or he's just trying to get back at me through her."

"Get back at you for what?" Lucas spoke up.

"We got into a fight at that party a few weeks ago. Adam said that I was abandoning my old friends and all this other crap. He mentioned that it was because of Haley," Nathan explained. "But now I'm wondering if it was actually my absence that was bothering him or the fact that I had Haley."

"You think he likes her?" Jake questioned.

"I think he does," Lucas stated.

"Me, too," Nathan agreed.

"So, what are you going to do about it? We could always kidnap him, bring him to our usual spot, and throw him in that mud pit," Tim suggested.

Lucas groaned. "Yeah, that was loads of fun."

Jake stared at them all in confusion. "I don't get it."

"It's what Nathan and the other guys on the team would do to new players. It was part of the hazing. Except when it happened to me, it was more about Nathan's personal hatred towards me."

"Hey, if I recall correctly, the hatred was mutual," Nathan defended.

"But I never kidnapped you and shoved you in mud."

"Whatever. I told you I was sorry about that."

"It was pretty fun, though," Tim chuckled. All the guys stared at him. "What?"

"Regardless, we're not doing that again," Nathan said.

"Good," Lucas stated. "So what's the plan?"

"Nothing. I talked to Haley, and she's going to deal with Adam herself."

"You think she can handle it?" Jake inquired. "I mean, no offense, but I've heard some pretty bad things about him."

"Well, she tamed this barbarian," Lucas joked and nodded towards Nathan. "I think she could handle this other guy."

"Gee, thanks, big brother."

"No problem."

"Basically, I was going to talk to you guys," Nathan said, getting back on topic. "I just want you all to look out for her. I can't really be around her, so it's hard for me to keep an eye on things."

"I'm surprised you had to ask," Lucas replied. "You know I sure as hell will. That guy's a dick."

Jake and Tim mumbled their agreement.

"Okay, thanks," Nathan told them.

"So, any chance you can hang out with us this weekend?" Lucas inquired.

"What did you have in mind?"

"We were just going to hang out at the River Court Saturday night and play a few games. Nothing big."

"I'll see what I can do," Nathan said as he placed the bar back into place. He sat up and used his towel to wipe up his sweat. "With all of the games we have coming up and the scouts watching, Dan's been breathing even more down my neck."

"Speaking of scouts, did the guy from Duke show up yet?"

"No. But I think he will next week."

"Is that where you want to go?" Jake asked.

"Yeah. It's always been my first choice."

"That's cool."

"You'll get in," Tim said confidently. "They'd be crazy stupid not to recruit you."

"The scout from UNC will be there Friday night, too," Lucas informed them. "I'd kill to play ball for them."

"By the way, while we're on the subject of colleges, Haley told me this morning that she got into Stanford," Nathan announced.

"No shit!" Lucas exclaimed. "I knew she would."

"That's why we weren't in school. We took the day off to celebrate."

"Stanford? I've never heard of it," Tim commented.

Nathan wasn't surprised but didn't voice that thought. "It's in California. It's one of the top schools in the country."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense. Haley is mad smart. But that's gonna suck with her being so far away from you."

"We haven't made any final decisions yet. It's too early. We're going to wait and see which schools we get into and all that."

"Yeah, it's the same with Brooke and me," Lucas agreed.

"Me and Peyton, too," Jake spoke up. "Although we're both leaning towards Georgia. I'm originally from there and they have a great art school for her. So we'll see."

"Kat and I haven't talked about it at all. We usually just make out."

"That's nice, Tim," Nathan muttered, unsurprised. Tim never was one for planning for the future. He was usually a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants type of guy.

"All right, ladies, enough chatting and more working out!" Whitey bellowed. "Those muscles aren't going to build themselves."

Nathan leaned back down and lifted up the bar again. All this busting his ass better be worth it.

~***~

Haley leaned her head against her locker and focused on steadying her breathing. Her earlier high from the day had completely crashed and burned by now. She just wanted to go home, grab a carton of chocolate-chip-cookie-dough ice cream, and drown her sorrows.

"Tutor Girl, there you are!" Brooke exclaimed a moment later with Peyton beside her. "We were just on our way to the Tutor Center to find you."

"We heard from Nathan that you guys played hookie to celebrate getting into Stanford. Congrats!" Peyton praised.

Haley tried to appear normal. "Thanks." The girls both embraced her.

"Hey, are you okay?" Brooke questioned when she pulled away.

"Oh, um, yeah. I'm just tired. It's been a long day," she excused. She really didn't feel like talking about Adam with them right now. Haley was still trying to process it all herself.

"Really? What did you and Boy Toy do?" Brooke inquired while wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Nothing like what you're hinting at," Haley answered, smiling.

Peyton patted her arm. "Well, like I said, we just wanted to say congratulations."

"And to tell you that cheerleading practice has been canceled. I have a student council meeting that was moved to today and can't be missed," Brooke added.

"Oh. Good. I need to get home and take care of some things."

"Did you need a ride?" Peyton offered. "The guys still have basketball practice, so you might be here for awhile."

"Actually, that'd be great. Thanks," Haley replied. "Let me just get some books and we can go."

"Sure. I have to stop at my locker, too. I'll see you in a couple of minutes," Peyton told her.

"And I'll see you both tomorrow," Brooke announced with a little wave before she was off.

Once they'd left, Haley hurriedly put in her combination and opened her locker. The sooner she got out of there the better. She did not want to run into Adam again today. Haley had to find a way to handle him and the rest of the guys who were supposedly going to ask her out. She had enough to deal with already.

Haley grabbed for her Current Events book. When she pulled it out, she noticed a piece of pink colored paper fall to the floor. She frowned and bent over to pick it up. Haley rolled her eyes when she read what the flyer was for.

She crumbled it up in her hand and made her way over towards a nearby recycling bin. She was just about to throw it away when a thought popped into her head. Haley paused before reopening the paper. She read it over a second time as her idea became clearer. It was totally crazy, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She was running out of options.

Haley sighed before neatly folding the paper up and placing it in her messenger bag. As much as she didn't want to do it, it might just actually work.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"So, are you nervous?"

Nathan finished putting on his jersey before glancing over at his brother. "About what?"

"The game tonight. Not to mention the scout," Lucas elaborated.

"I don't know," Nathan said with a shrug. "I'm a little anxious. What about you?"

"I'm…" he trailed off. "I'm scared shitless."

Nathan chuckled. "I can tell. You look as white as a ghost right now."

"It's just that I always wanted to play basketball at UNC. What happens if the one night the scout is here, I choke? The Cavaliers are tough this year."

Nathan nodded in understanding. Cove City had been doing pretty well this season. Before he'd even arrived at the gym, his father had lectured him for an hour about how he better not screw up this game. The scouts would not be impressed—so he said.

"Everyone's tough this year. Look, just do what I do. Don't think about it. Focus on the game and just play," Nathan advised. He was good under pressure. With a father like Dan watching him like a hawk during games, he had to be.

"Gee, thanks."

"I know it's easier said than done but trust me. If you get yourself all worked up, you're just going to psych yourself out. So take a deep breath and relax."

"Okay," Lucas sighed.

Nathan patted his back and reached into his bag when he heard his cell phone ringing. He groaned when he noticed that it was Dan calling him. "What is it, Dad?" he drawled.

"Nathan, I need you to come outside for a minute."

"Dad, I'm getting ready for the game."

"It'll only take a minute, son."

"What's the matter?" Lucas asked when he shut his phone.

"My dad," Nathan muttered dejectedly. "I'll be right back."

"Yo, Nate Dogg, where you going?" Tim questioned as he passed him. "The game is starting in ten minutes."

"No where. I'll be right back," he answered. As soon as he passed through the door, he saw Dan standing off to the side. "What is it, Dad? The game is going to start."

"I made a few calls, and I managed to get the scout from Wake Forest to come see you tonight."

"You couldn't tell me this over the phone?"

"No, now listen to me. You better give it all you got tonight. You're the best damn player in this state, Nathan. And if you play your cards right, you'll have all of these universities tripping over themselves trying to get you onto their team."

"The only one that matters is Duke. And since when do I not give it my all during games."

Dan snorted. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Whatever." Nathan rolled his eyes. Leave it to Dan to belittle him before a game rather than encourage him.

"And it may be Duke you want, but it couldn't hurt to make them work for it either. So you better put all that training we've done to good use."

"Okay, I get it. Can I go now?" Nathan asked impatiently.

"Remember, I'll be watching." Nathan turned around and was just about to go back inside the locker room when Dan added, "By the way, I'll see you at the dealership tomorrow morning."

He halted and faced him. "What?"

"Just because you have a game tonight and couldn't work doesn't mean that I'm letting you off of the hook," Dan informed him. "You'll be making up your hours tomorrow."

"But—"

"It's not up for discussion," he interjected. "So forget it and concentrate on this game."

"Shit," Nathan muttered to himself when he reentered the locker room. There went his Saturday.

"Nathan, where the hell did you go? The team is already on the court," Whitey bellowed.

"Sorry, Coach."

"To hell with being sorry and get your ass out there," he ordered.

Nathan knew better than to argue or make excuses. He quickly headed into the gym and joined his teammates. Nathan casually glanced over at the cheerleaders, hoping to catch a quick glimpse of Haley. He frowned when he noticed that she wasn't there.

Nathan was just about to walk over to Lucas and ask where she was when he remembered that Dan was in the stands watching, as well as half the school. They weren't supposed to be seen talking and getting along with each other that often. Now was definitely not the time for them to squeeze in a conversation.

"Hey, Tim," Nathan whispered next to him.

"Yeah?"

"Have you seen Haley at all tonight?"

"No."

"Do you know where she is?"

Tim shook his head and shrugged. "She's your girlfriend. Shouldn't you know?"

"Obviously I don't if I'm asking you, dumbass," he huffed. "Did Brooke or Peyton say anything to you?"

"No. But maybe Haley's running late or something."

Nathan sighed and shook his head. Maybe she was running late. But then again, Haley was never late. She showed up early to practically everything. If she wasn't there by half time, Nathan made a mental note to call and check on her.

"Hey, Nate, word on the street is that there are scouts here tonight," Tim muttered.

"There are," he confirmed.

"Sweet."

The referee blew his whistle to signal both teams to get into position.

"Oh, Nathan," Tim said.

"Now what, Tim?" They didn't have time to chit chat. The game was going to start.

"That Adam dude has been glaring at you for the last five minutes."

Nathan followed Tim's line of sight and saw Adam sitting in the stands with a few of his football teammates. Surprisingly, Tim was right. The look on Adam's face was belligerent. When their gazes met, Adam's eyes narrowed. Nathan's whole body went rigid as he glared right back. He still wanted to pound that guy for even thinking he could go near Haley.

"Mr. Scott. Mr. Scott?" the referee called, trying to get his attention.

Nathan finally tore his eyes away from Adam. "Yeah?"

"Are you ready? We're going to start."

"Yes, I'm ready," Nathan declared.

He shot one more quick glance at Adam. _Game on, bitch. _

~***~

"Damn it," Nathan swore under his breath. He sucked on his finger where he'd gotten a paper cut. It was Saturday for crying out loud. He shouldn't be at the dealership doing paperwork. He should be at home sleeping or watching TV. Hell, he'd rather work out or finish his homework than do this.

As if answering phones and copying documents wasn't bad enough, he also couldn't stop thinking about Haley. She never showed up to the game. Nathan had tried calling her afterward, but she never answered her phone. He'd even called her house, but her mother told him that she wasn't there either. Nathan was starting to get nervous. It wasn't like Haley to not answer her phone—especially when it was him calling.

Nathan discreetly pulled his phone out of his pocket and texted Haley one more time. If she didn't get back to him by tonight, he was seriously going to hunt the girl down and make sure she was okay.

Nathan's desk phone rang. He rolled his eyes, prepared to shoot out the usual spiel. "Thank you for calling Scott Motors. This is Nathan speaking, how can I help you?"

"Nathan, it's me," Dan's voice said on the other line. Nathan looked through the opening of his cubicle and saw his father eying him from his office. "I need you to come in here for a minute."

"Okay." He hung up and ran a hand through his hair.

_Now what does he want?_ he thought with dread.

"There's a stack of papers on that table over there," Dan said once Nathan entered the office. He motioned towards the right. "I need you to shred them by the end of the day."

"Is that it?"

"I'm sure Marcy could also use some help filing."

Nathan nodded wordlessly as he picked up the pile of papers. He went back to his desk and dropped the papers off to the side underneath his desk. He already had a ton of other things to do before he could even get to those. He grabbed another stack of forms sitting on his desk and entered the information into the computer database.

Nathan's phone rang again. "Thank you for calling—"

"Nathan, it's me. Honestly, the phones have caller ID. Can't you tell that it's my number?" Dan snapped.

He sighed softly to himself. "Sorry. I wasn't looking at it."

"Whatever. I thought you were going to help Marcy."

"I'm updating the customers' personal information like you told me to do earlier," Nathan reminded him.

"Well, do that later. Marcy needs help with those files now. Her work area looks like a mess. I don't want our customers walking in and thinking that we're unorganized. It's bad for business."

"Fine. I'm going," Nathan grumbled. He hung up before standing and walking over to Marcy's desk several feet away. Nathan cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Oh, hi, Nathan," she greeted cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

"I was told you needed help with the filing."

"Actually, I do. That's very thoughtful of you." Marcy gave him a bright smile.

Nathan tried to return it as best he could. The woman had to be in her late twenties. She was a tall, leggy blonde who often wore a lot of tight outfits that probably wouldn't be allowed in other work environments. There was no refuting that Marcy was attractive. Many of the male customers that came in couldn't take their eyes off of her. Nathan figured that as long as she kept these guys coming back for more, then his Dad didn't care what she wore. She was just another prop in Dan Scott's showroom.

"Sure. Where would you like me to start?" he questioned.

"You could start with that box at the top of the pile."

"Okay."

"I swear, ever since the place was remodeled I can't figure out where to put anything anymore," she commented. "Oh, and make sure you make copies of each bill of sale. You're going to need to update them in the database later on. I already have a pile of them for you."

"I can't wait."

Marcy smiled. "So, I take it cars aren't really your thing."

"No, not really."

"I saw some of your basketball trophies in your father's office alongside his. You must be pretty good."

"I'm all right," he said while walking over to the nearby copy machine.

"Oh, come on. There's no need to be modest," she laughed. "Your dad says you're going to take the Ravens to State this year."

Nathan shrugged. "I'm gonna try."

"I'm sure you'll get into Duke, too."

"Did my dad tell you that?"

"He might have mentioned it a couple of times. I went there, too, you know?'

That caught Nathan's attention. He looked up from the file he was reviewing. "Really? How'd you like it?"

"It was great. Definitely the best four years of my life."

Nathan grinned. "I bet."

"The basketball team was great. All of the players were really talented. Not to mention cute." Marcy smiled at him coyly. "I bet you'll fit right in."

Nathan shifted a bit under her gaze. "Well, uh…" He cleared his throat. "I'll see what happens. I'm looking at other schools, too, so…"

"Are you planning to go to college with any of your high school friends?" she continued.

"I'm not sure yet. A few of us are applying to the same places. I'll know when I make my final decision."

"What about your girlfriend?" Nathan remained quiet for a moment as he kept his gaze on the files. "You do have a girlfriend, right?"

"Um…I did," he finally answered.

"Did?" she inquired curiously.

Nathan quietly groaned. She was actually going to make him say it. The last thing he needed right now was to be reminded of his and Haley's faux breakup. He couldn't stop thinking about her and this entire situation enough already. "Uh, yeah. We broke up just before Thanksgiving."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." She sounded sympathetic, but Nathan wasn't sure if it was genuine.

He could be reading her all wrong, but Nathan could've sworn that she'd been flirting with him. Marcy did have a reputation of being charming. And she did wink at him every now and then. But she'd never actually come on so strong before—if that's what she was doing.

"She must have been devastated to lose a guy like you."

"Actually, she broke up with me."

She stared at him in surprise. "Really?"

He nodded and made another copy.

"I find that very hard to believe."

"Well, it happened."

"She must be crazy. Or blind," she added with a giggle.

"I guess she had her reasons." It didn't take much for him to sound dejected.

"It's probably for the best. You know what they say: when one door closes, another one opens."

"I thought it was a window."

Marcy smiled and shrugged. "Either way. The point is that there will be other girls. Other opportunities."

"What if I don't want them? What if I want the one that got away?"

She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. "Sometimes we don't have a choice. Sometimes we just have to move on whether we like it or not. And sometimes we may get something even better."

~***~

Nathan pulled at his tie as he drove down the darkened street. He'd been stuck at the damn dealership for most of the day. He couldn't get out of there fast enough when his father said he could finally leave. Dan wanted him to go home and practice his jump shot. Nathan promised he would. Of course he lied. Nathan had no intention of going home. Haley still hadn't called him back, which was why he was now driving to her house. He was officially starting to panic.

A couple of minutes later he pulled up into the driveway. He noticed that all of the lights were off in the house except for the ones on the porch. Nathan checked the time. It was only seven-thirty. Neither she nor her parents could be asleep already. It was most likely that nobody was home. He got out of the car and walked to the front door anyways. He rang the bell a couple of times and waited.

Nobody answered.

"Crap," Nathan murmured. He walked back to his car and took off down the opposite end of the street.

When he arrived at the River Court, he could see a group of people already there. Nathan instantly knew that it was Lucas and the rest of the gang. It looked like Skills and the other River Court guys were there, as well. Lucas had already briefly filled them in on Nathan's situation with Dan. So they knew not to say anything to anyone when Nathan hung out with them. They were taking as many precautions as they could.

"Well, well, well, don't tell me that _The_ Nathan Scott has finally decided to grace us with his presence," Lucas called teasingly as Nathan approached them. The guys had halted their game, waiting for him.

"And looking spiffy, I might add," Skills spoke up.

"Yeah, Nate, what's with the dressy clothes?" Tim asked.

"I had to work at the dealership today."

"I thought you didn't work on Saturdays," Peyton commented.

"I usually don't. But since we had a game last night, Dan made me go in all day today to make up for it."

"That sucks," Brooke stated.

"Whatever. At least it's over," Nathan muttered as he undid his tie. His eyes swept over the group. "Where's Haley?"

"Tutor Girl should be by later. She called me and said she had some errands to run today," Brooke answered.

"I haven't seen her since yesterday during school. She wasn't even at the game."

"She called and said something came up," Peyton told him.

"Let me guess," Kat cut in. "You miss her."

The guys snickered. Nathan just glared at them. "More like worried about her. She hasn't returned any of my calls."

"Nathan, needy is not a good look for you," Brooke teased.

"I'm not needy," he refuted. "She always calls me back. I just want to know if she's okay."

"I'm sure she's fine," Jake encouraged.

Lucas nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's Haley. She can take care of herself."

"I guess."

"Well, while you're waiting, why don't you join our game," Skills suggested. "Jake's team is losing anyway."

"Like hell we are," Jake retorted.

Fergie crossed his arms. "We had you guys running scared."

"Yeah, towards your own basket," Junk trash talked back.

"We'll see. But you guys could use the help. Unless Nate here is afraid he'll get his pimped out clothes dirty," Skills kidded.

Nathan took off his jacket and tie completely and threw them on the picnic table. "Not only am I going to kick your asses, but I'm going to look good doing it. I did make the winning shot last night, after all."

"We'll see about that," Lucas challenged.

"Ooh, I love when guys get competitive. It's so hot!" Brooke squealed. The other girls laughed as the boys took their previous positions.

The game resumed along with Mouth's colorful sideline commentary. Much to Nathan's satisfaction, he managed to steal the ball away from Skills and score on him. The rest of the game had the guys going back and forth. Shots were made and taunts were called to one another.

"I believe that's game," Nathan announced as he, Jake, Tim, and Fergie bumped fists at their victory.

"It was a lucky shot," Lucas mumbled.

"It looked pretty damn good to me," someone shouted.

They all turned to see Haley walking towards them. Nathan immediately dropped the ball in his hands and headed towards her.

"Like a puppy in heat," Brooke joked.

The others laughed, but Nathan didn't even pay attention to them. All of his focus was on Haley. His eyes swept over her face. She didn't appear upset or frazzled. And she didn't look sick or tired. That was a good sign.

"Hey," she greeted him in a hug.

Nathan moved back to kiss her. She moaned quietly into his mouth as her arms wound around his neck. He let out his own sigh of relief against her lips.

"Where have you been and why haven't you answered your phone?" he inquired without breaking contact.

"I had some things I needed to take care of."

"What things?"

"Just shut up and kiss me," she murmured against his lips.

"Do they ever come up for air?" Mouth asked the others.

"I think they're headed for second base," proclaimed Tim.

"Like hell they are," Lucas protested. "Hey, would you two stop sucking face? There are some of us here who would rather not go blind."

"Broody!"

"What?"

"Leave them alone. They never get to see each other," Brooke chided.

"So? He's my brother and she's my best friend. It's weird."

"It is not. You've had months to get used to it. Besides, if everyone knew half the stuff that we did—"

"Cheery," Lucas warned.

"Yeah, please don't finish that sentence," Peyton agreed.

Mouth shook his head in disbelief. "Damn, they're still going."

"Haley!" Lucas begged.

Haley gave Nathan one more peck on the lips before pulling away. She turned to her best friend. "Happy now?"

"I would've been happier if you'd quit it five minutes ago," he complained.

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Give it a rest, Luke."

"Ditto."

"Just shut—"

"Okay. I think we all get the point. Let's just forget it," Haley interceded.

"Fine. Now how about you tell me where you've been," Nathan requested. "You had me worried."

"I'm fine. I had—"

"Errands," Peyton finished. "We know."

"What kind of errands?" Nathan prodded. "I mean, you weren't even at the game."

"I'm sorry. I heard you did really well."

"I did. Now stop dodging the question," Nathan said knowingly. It wasn't hard to tell that she was nervous when she started biting her lip like that.

"Okay, look, I don't want you to overreact."

"Uh-oh," Lucas muttered. "That doesn't sound good."

Brooke smirked. "Sounds juicy to me."

"What is it?" Nathan questioned cautiously.

"I got into a fight with Adam the other day."

"What?!"

"Let me finish before you overreact," Haley ordered.

"A fight about what?" Lucas spoke up. "He didn't come on to you, did he?"

"Well…"

"What?!" Nathan repeated when he saw the apprehensive expression on her face. "I'll kill him. I really will this time."

"No, you will not. Just be quiet and let me finish. God! We got into a fight, because I told him that I didn't like the way he instigated you the other day."

"Then?"

"Then he asked me out."

"Unbelievable!"

"I told you that dickwad liked her," Brooke whispered to Peyton.

"Who likes her?" Kat asked, confused.

"I, of course, turned him down," Haley carried on. "I told him I didn't trust him and that I was still getting over my 'breakup' with Nathan. Then I stormed out on him."

"That's great, Haley. But now what are you going to do?" Nathan challenged. "If you think that some fight and walking out on Adam is going to stop him from pursing you, then you've got to come up with some other plan."

"Not to mention the other guys who are going to ask her out. I heard that Heath Marko was going to make his move on Monday."

Peyton frowned. "Who's Heath Marko?"

"He's on the swim team."

"We have a swim team?" Tim muttered.

"Yes. But they're not very good," Brooke answered. "Oh, and Peter Beaubard is planning on asking her, too."

"Wait, that's the treasurer of the Student Council, right?" Lucas guessed.

"Yeah. I'm still working on discouraging that one."

"Great. This is just freaking great!" Nathan bit out. "It hasn't even been a full month since we split and already they're swooping in like a bunch of vultures."

"Well, it's been about three weeks. And in boy time, I think that they think that the mourning period is finally over. So now would be a perfect time to make their move. She's probably over you but still vulnerable enough where they can score."

Nathan's jaw clenched. "Over my dead bo—"

"Look, you don't have to worry about it. I have a plan. And trust me, it'll take care of all of them," Haley reassured him.

"Oh yeah, what exactly is this master plan of yours? Because at this point, you could tell everyone you're a lesbian and they'd probably still find that hot."

"It's much better than that."

"Okay, seriously, what do you have in mind?" Jake jumped in. He looked just as curious and intrigued as the others.

Haley smiled before undoing the zipper of her jacket and taking it off. It only took a couple of seconds to stun them into silence.

"Oh. My. God," Brooke gasped as she stared at Haley's shirt. "You're a Clean Teen?!"


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys, thank you all for the reviews last chapter. I appreciate the feedback. Here's the next chapter for you, and I hope you guys have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday!**

**

* * *

Chapter 20**

"Now I've seen it all," Peyton laughed.

Lucas shook his head in disbelief. "No way."

"Haley?" Nathan questioned. His eyes were wide from shock.

"Whoa. That's kind of hot." The others turned to look at Tim. Nathan glowered as Kat slapped him in the back of the head. "Ow! What? I'm just saying—"

"Well, don't say anything else," Nathan ordered.

"I-I…whoa is right," Brooke declared. "Tutor Girl, what is going on? Is this for real?"

Haley nodded her head in confirmation. She knew that they were all going to be completely thrown by her decision. In fact, she was expecting it. "Yes. I joined Clean Teens."

"I thought you hated the Clean Teens," Peyton reminded her. "Shelley was driving you crazy for weeks."

"I know."

"I don't get it," Lucas announced as Nathan mumbled his agreement.

"Okay, I know you all think that I'm insane right now. But there is a really good reason why I did this."

"Which is?" Brooke prodded.

"Everyone around school thinks that the Clean Teens are this weird group of virgins," she started to explain.

"That's because they are."

"I know. A lot of people are turned off by their holier-than-thou preaching about no sex. Not to mention their unspoken rule in which group members shouldn't really date anyone outside of the club."

"They can't?" Jake questioned. Haley shook her head. "Why not?"

"Because they think the temptation is greater with people outside of their little circle."

Skills snorted. "Sounds like complete crap to me."

"Well, despite how odd it is, this can totally work for me." It was then that Haley noticed the realization starting to dawn on her friends' faces.

"Oh," Brooke commented.

Peyton smiled. "Very clever, Haley."

"What?" Lucas asked, perplexed. "I still don't get it."

"If I'm part of the group, I can't very well be dating all of these other guys, now can I?" Haley reasoned. Nobody, especially the guys around school, would dare make a move on her after this. They probably wouldn't even want to anymore. Clean Teens was like the social kiss of death.

"Oh. I get it. Nice," Lucas complimented.

"Thank you."

"I can't believe you actually did it, though," Brooke said.

"How can she be in the club if she did it?" Tim inquired. "I thought you had to be a virgin."

"I wasn't talking about sex, Dim. I meant that she actually went through with joining the club itself."

"Oh. So she is a virgin? I thought she and Nate—"

"If you don't want your ass kicked, then do not finish that sentence," Nathan warned. He could see the embarrassed flush forming on Haley's face. He didn't blame her for feeling uncomfortable. Whatever they did or didn't do was nobody's business but theirs.

Kat elbowed him. "Seriously, Timmy, quit while you're ahead."

Tim dutifully shut his mouth.

"Wait, so is this why you missed the game last night?" Lucas asked Haley.

"Yeah. I had to do this whole induction ceremony."

Peyton grinned. "Oh, I would so have paid to see that."

"It doesn't surprise me," Brooke laughed. "What else are virgins going to do at night?"

Haley gave her a look.

The brunette stopped mid-giggle and cleared her throat. "Sorry. But seriously, what _did_ you do?"

"Nothing much. I just had to make this pledge. Then they gave me this shirt, this promise ring," she held up her left hand to show them, "and had me sit through the rest of the meeting."

"Wait a minute, this isn't going to interfere with cheerleading, right?" Brooke panicked. "Because there is no way I'm going to replace you. That would be a nightmare, and we need you to—"

"I'm not quitting the squad, Brooke," Haley assured her. "I mean, Shelley did want me to, but I refused. I made a commitment to you before I did her."

Brooke breathed a loud sigh of relief. "Thank God!"

When she saw that Brooke had calmed down, Haley turned to face Nathan. He hadn't said all that much since she revealed her master plan.

"Um, why don't you two talk. We'll all just…go do something," Lucas announced while ushering the others away from them.

Haley sent him a thankful look. The situation was awkward enough without everyone watching them. Tim's comments a few minutes prior had her turning red from embarrassment. She didn't want another repeat while she talked to Nathan. She really needed to find out his thoughts on all of this in private. His opinion mattered to her the most.

"So what do you think?"

"I think it's a good idea," he said while helping her put her jacket back on. It was freezing outside. Afterward, he ran his hands up and down her arms. "But—"

"I knew it," Haley muttered.

"The only thing that concerns me is that the Clean Teens take a lot of heat from everyone. I don't want you getting made fun of or ridiculed, Hales, for being associated with them," Nathan explained. While he loved the idea of Haley being off limits to all of the jackasses at school, he cringed at the thought of Haley being on the receiving end of all the criticism.

"It's not like they're not talking about me now," she reminded him.

"I know. But at least you had some security with our story of you breaking up with me. This will be completely different."

"Nathan, I honestly don't care. I'm used to it by now."

"You shouldn't have to be."

"It's high school, honey. That's reason enough for people to rag on one another. And it's not like I'm not…qualified to be a Clean Teen," she stated, blushing. "I mean, I may not be as outspoken or focused on it like Shelley and the others, but it is what I am. I'm not ashamed of it."

"I'm not saying you should be ashamed of it. You know how much I respect you for it. I just don't like seeing people hurt you. That's all." He gently caressed her cheek.

"Honestly, I'd rather people talk about how 'clean' I am than about how many guys are trying to get with me or who's trying to get back at you," Haley admitted. "After the initial shock, the talk will die down. And this way we don't have to worry about all of that other crap. We can focus just on us again."

Nathan stared at Haley for a few moments. She did make a good point. Eventually people would get over it, and she'd be out of the limelight. "You're sure you can handle this?" he questioned one last time.

She placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I'm positive."

"You do know that Shelley is going to watch you like a hawk, right?"

"Well, what she doesn't know won't hurt her," Haley joked.

Nathan chuckled. "You're only a member for two days and already you're breaking the rules. You're such a bad ass, Haley James."

Haley rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the smile from forming on her face.

"It's definitely sexy," Nathan whispered in a husky voice.

It instantly sent a shiver up her spine. He kissed the spot behind her ear and captured her lips in a smoldering kiss that left her completely breathless.

"I guess Tutor Girl won't be clean for that much longer," Brooke shouted teasingly.

The couple broke apart. Haley narrowed her eyes at her friend in mock anger.

"I have a question," Tim announced.

They all groaned in annoyance. When it came to Tim, it always ended up being something completely clueless.

"What is it, Tim?" Nathan sighed.

"Haley's shirt says 'Virgins for life.'"

"So?"

"Is it true?"

"No."

"It's supposed to be 'virgins until marriage.' But the other slogan sounds better," Haley said.

"Oh. That's a relief"

"Why? What's your point?" Nathan asked him.

"Because if it really was the other one, that really would've sucked for you, Nate."

Haley and the others couldn't help but laugh. Nathan, meanwhile, groaned in irritation. "Shut up, Tim."

~***~

Haley clutched her bag tighter as she walked down the hallway. She could feel her peers' eyes on her. Not that that surprised her. As expected, people were completely floored by her new membership to the Clean Teens. She'd already had over twenty random people and acquaintances in her classes coming up to her and asking if it was true or why she did it. All Haley would say was that she had her own personal reasons. She was a firm believer in the less said, the better.

"What a loser," Haley heard someone mumble off to the side of her. She knew that voice. It was Sue Garver. Haley gritted her teeth to keep quiet as Sue continued, "Who in their right mind would join Clean Teens?"

"I'm sticking with my theory that Nathan ruined her. Now she's joining Clean Teens for some sort of redemption. The girl has totally gone off the deep end."

Haley rolled her eyes and kept up her charade of organizing her books in her locker. _You would think that. Bitch. And by the way, can you talk any louder?_ Hadn't people ever heard of being discrete?

"I don't know," another girl spoke up. "She dumped him."

"But we don't know why, Kim," Sue pointed out.

"Maybe he was pressuring her," someone else joined in.

"I doubt it, Jen. What Nathan Scott wants, he gets. And even if she did break up with him over the sex issue, that still makes her an idiot. If Nathan ever wanted to go for a round with me, I sure as hell wouldn't deny him."

_Like Nathan would ever touch you. Keep dreaming, skank._

"Did you see Nathan's reaction today at all?" Jen asked.

"No," Sue replied.

"I caught him looking at her a couple of times across the hall."

"Did he look pissed?"

"No. He looked kind of…"

"Kind of what?"

"I can't explain it. He almost looked sorry or something."

Sue scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious. It's obvious he's still into her. Why do you think he flipped out last week with Adam? The guy was totally trying to move in on her."

"Whatever. I don't see what's so great about her. She's not even that pretty."

_Thanks, Sue. Because you're known as being quite the looker_, Haley thought sarcastically.

"Seriously, what does Nathan see in her?" Kim agreed.

"I think she's really pretty," Jen defended. "She may not be a Brooke Davis or Peyton Sawyer look-a-like, but there is something really pretty about her. I can see why Nathan would want a girl like her for a change."

_I knew I always liked Jen._

"You've got to be kidding me. Are you her own personal cheerleader or something?" Sue sneered.

"No. But I've had a few classes with Haley, and she's really nice. I don't get why everyone has to pick on her for everything," Jen explained. "And I saw the way Nathan was when they were dating. The guy was totally in love with her. It's obvious that he still is."

"This is high school, Jen. Love doesn't exist. Nathan will get over it."

"Or maybe you're just sore, because you tried to make a move on Nathan and he totally blew you off," Jen fired back.

Haley smiled to herself in satisfaction. She didn't dare look over, but she just knew there would be steam coming out of Sue's ears right now. _Go, Jen!_

"Whatever," Sue gritted out. "Let's just get to lunch already."

Once they'd taken off, Haley shut her locker and headed towards the cafeteria herself. _That's it. Keep staring at me like that's going to give you all of the answers_, Haley mused when she walked into the large room and heads turned to look at her.

"Seriously, Tutor Girl, why don't you let the rest of us get some of the attention?" Brooke joked, sidling up next to her.

"Go ahead. You can have it," Haley replied as she started to follow Brooke to their usual table.

The brunette laughed. "Well, at least nobody asked you out today. That's got to be good, right?"

"It is the one relief," Haley admitted.

"Haley! Haley!"

Haley turned at the sound of her name. "Crap," she muttered.

"What does _she_ want?" Brooke asked, her voice just as low.

"I don't know."

"Haley, where are you going? We saved you a seat," Shelley told her.

Haley looked behind Shelley to see her fellow Clean Teens watching her expectantly. "Um, well, I was going to sit in my usual seat with Brooke and—"

"Haley, you're a Clean Teen now. You sit with the group."

"So what? Now she can't have friends?" Brooke challenged.

"We're her friends. And it's important that we're all together whenever possible. I mean, what would it look like if we were all scattered? Clean Teens needs to show a unified front," Shelley stated. "The whole point of the club is to be there for each other when facing the temptations of daily life."

"What temptations?" Brooke retorted.

Shelley looked her up and down. "You're Brooke Davis. I'm sure you can figure it out."

Brooke crossed her arms and gave the girl a hard glare. "Try me."

"Just look at the outfit you're wearing. It's bright, tight, and barely there in some parts. It's like a total invitation for boys to hit on you."

"So?"

"So it sends the message that you're a sexual being."

Brooke smirked. "I am a sexual being."

"Well, we Clean Teens don't want to give off that vibe. We're pure and will dress as such. That's why we have our special shirts. They strip us of our sexual identities and keep us on the right path."

"Are you running a club or a cult?" Brooke responded. "Because that just sounds freaky."

"I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Haley could see the tension building between the two and quickly interceded. "Brooke, I'll see you in calculus, okay? Shelley, come on." She grabbed Shelley's arm and walked over to the Clean Teen table.

"What was that about?" one of the guys named Sheldon asked. He was a pudgy freshman who, despite being a Clean Teen, was often caught leering at the girls in school. Haley could see his eyes at the moment raking over Brooke in the distance.

"Don't worry about it," Shelley dismissed and took a seat. She moved over to make room for Haley.

Haley sat down and pulled out her lunch. She began eating quietly as the others chatted around her. She shot a quick glance over to her usual table. Haley could tell that Brooke was still stewing by the way she was waving her hands as she ranted to Lucas. The others didn't look all that pleased either by what she was saying.

Haley sighed softly to herself as she looked over to her left on the other side of the room. She knew that she probably shouldn't. But she couldn't help it. There were very few times during the day she could stare at Nathan and get away with it. He was talking to Tim and looking totally hot in that red polo shirt of his.

God, what she wouldn't give to be able to reach under that shirt and run her fingers along his sculpted chest and abs. Haley's face grew hot at the thought. She was having serious Nathan withdrawal during their time apart. They had to find some way to see each other more often before she went insane.

"…Haley. Haley!" Shelley said. "What are you looking at?" She followed her line of sight and frowned. "Oh."

It was at that moment that Nathan glanced over in their direction. Haley's eyes locked with his as time seemed to stop for a moment.

"Haley," Shelley said sternly. She then whipped around and glared at Nathan.

It took him a moment to pick up on her less-than-friendly expression. He shot one more longing look at Haley before finally turning back to Tim.

~***~

Haley blew out a loud sigh as she made her way to the Tutoring Center that afternoon. She needed this day to end. If she had to hear one more lecture from Shelley on why she should stay away from Nathan Scott, she was going to scream. Apparently a girl couldn't even look at an attractive guy without "falling into temptation." It was such a load of crap.

_And it's only the beginning_, Haley reminded herself. She'd have to keep this up the rest of the school year. _Ugh, kill me. It can't get any worse._

She finally made it to the Tutoring Center and walked inside. _Crap! I spoke too soon. _She saw Adam get up from his table and walk towards her. _He looks pissed._

"Haley!" he bellowed.

"Adam, I have a student arriving in another minute. I don't have time—" she tried to excuse.

"Then make time, because I want to know why the hell I've been assigned another tutor," Adam demanded.

Haley inwardly groaned. She knew that this would be coming when she'd arranged for her fellow tutor and friend Laura to take on Adam. "Look, Adam, after everything that has happened, I don't think that it's a wise decision that I continue tutoring you."

"So I have no say in the matter."

"You said enough last week. Trust me."

"Look, I'm sorry if I was too forceful with you. Sometimes I can be intense without realizing it. But you can't just up and change tutors on me—especially without telling me. That's not right."

"The reason I didn't tell you is because I knew you wouldn't want me to."

"I don't. You're the best tutor in the school, Haley. You've helped me a lot. I don't want anyone else."

"Adam, I'm sorry. But this isn't working out. Things were fine when I was just your tutor. But things have gotten more complicated now, and it's not conducive to our original arrangement."

He looked at her in confusion. "What's 'conducive' mean?"

"In this case, it means that what's going on is not helping out matters."

"Oh…But see, what am I going to do without you teaching me this stuff? You can't leave me, Haley."

"Adam, I promise that Laura is just as good a tutor as me."

"I don't care. I don't want Laura, Haley. I want you!"

"I'm sorry," she replied.

"This is because of Nathan, right? It's why you've joined that stupid Clean Teen group, too, isn't it?"

"Will you stop blaming everything on Nathan?! Sending you to another tutor and joining the group were my decisions," she refuted. "You may not understand them, but I have my reasons."

"So do I. Either you tutor me or no one else does."

"Adam, don't be stubborn."

"You're the one who's being stubborn."

"I wish that I could help you, but I can't anymore. This situation has gotten completely out of hand."

"Nathan's the one who got out of hand. You and I were doing just fine until he came along."

"There is no you and I!" Haley exclaimed in frustration.

"There's no you and Nathan either, and yet you're still allowing him to control you."

"The only person who is trying to control me right now is you," she argued. "I don't know what else to tell you, Adam. I really don't."

"Tell me you'll stay my tutor. Tell me you'll forget about that jackass and go out with me. I know that I could make you happy, Haley. I know you already do that to me," he declared while approaching her.

Haley took a few steps back. "I've made my final decision."

"Haley—"

"Adam, I mean it. Let it go," Haley said just as her tutee walked in.

"Hey, Haley," Aaron greeted.

She plastered a smile on her face. "Hey."

"Beat it, kid. We're not finished here yet," Adam barked.

Aaron looked towards Haley in confusion.

Haley shook her head. "Aaron, you can stay. Adam is the one who's leaving."

"Haley, come on—"

"Get out. Now," she ordered. "I have nothing left to say to you."

Adam stared her down for a good couple of minutes. But when he saw that she wasn't going to budge, he sighed in annoyance and stomped out of the Tutoring Center. Aaron actually jumped when the door slammed loudly. Haley just breathed a sigh of relief, proud that she stood her ground with him.

"Wow, what was that about?" Aaron asked curiously.

Haley shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It's over."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Nathan shifted in his seat, bored out of his mind. His teacher just kept droning on and on about the same stupid topic with his back to the class as he wrote on the board. Nathan glanced at his fellow classmates and saw a few people falling asleep. Tim was actually already out and drooling on the desk.

Nathan shook his head and pulled out his cell phone. Mr. Martin was so far gone he wouldn't even notice. But just in case, Nathan made sure that his phone was on silent. He checked to see if he had any messages. He had a few text messages from Lucas asking about basketball practice that afternoon. They had a big game tomorrow night that they needed to be ready for. Another message was from Brooke, telling him about some crazy party that was planned for Friday night. She wanted the group to go together.

Nathan didn't answer back. He wasn't much in the partying mood—especially if Haley wouldn't be there. He highly doubted that Clean Teens allowed that kind of thing. Shelley watched the whole group like a hawk and always seemed to keep them in check. And since Haley was her main focus at the moment, there was even less of a chance that his girlfriend would be there. Even if she was, it's not like they could do anything anyways. They were supposed to be broken up.

It sucked big time. As the weeks passed, Nathan felt himself getting more and more frustrated. Both he and Haley were so busy that they never got to see one another. The best he got was an occasional glance of her in the hallway or the cafeteria. And that's only if nobody was looking. Unfortunately, he did get caught by Shelley a few times. The girl sure knew how to give a dirty look. It seemed like afterward she would always turn on Haley. So he'd try to be more discreet.

But it was getting harder every day. And if something didn't give soon, Nathan wasn't sure what he'd do. His phone vibrated in his hand a moment later. It was another text message. Much to his surprise, it was from Haley.

_I miss you…_he read.

He almost groaned out loud at how right she was. Nathan knew that she was feeling it as bad as he was. Haley never used her phone while in class. She'd scolded him a few times in English before saying that it was an unproductive distraction that would lead to him ultimately falling behind and flunking. Nathan had just laughed and teased her about being such a nerd. That had earned him a hard whack on the arm. But she was always so cute when she was mad.

_I miss you, too_, he texted back.

Nathan checked the time. He still had about a half hour of class left. He smiled as an idea popped into his head.

_I have to go to the bathroom_, he wrote.

_O-kay…go then. Lol_, she replied.

_You should go, too._

_Why? I don't have to._

Nathan smirked at her clueless response. _We should both go at the same time. _

_I don't get it._

_It has nothing to do with the bathroom. I want to see you_, he answered with an amused roll of his eyes.

_Oh._

_Meet me in the janitor's closet on the second floor._

_But what if we get caught?_

_We won't._

_Idk…_

_Hales, please…I want to see you. _He then added for extra affect, _I have to kiss you. _ It was a simple statement, but he was sure it would have her blushing, regardless.

It was another moment before she finally responded. _Fine. I'll see you there in two minutes. _

An even bigger smirk crossed Nathan's face. Afterward, he slid his phone back into his pocket. "Mr. Martin," Nathan called.

"What is it, Mr. Scott?" his teacher replied without turning around. He was still writing away on the chalk board, oblivious.

"I need to use the bathroom."

"Fine. But don't dawdle."

_Don't count on it_, Nathan thought to himself as he left. There was no way he was going to rush back to that class.

Nathan couldn't get to the janitor's closet fast enough. When he was finally inside, he felt a sliver of disappointment when he realized Haley hadn't showed up yet. He checked his watch. She should be coming any second.

Nathan paced back and forth as he waited. He was so keyed up in the tiny space. He felt like a starving, caged animal. Nathan checked the time again. Where was she?

A minute later, he felt his phone vibrate again. _My teacher is handing out a pop quiz. I can't come. Sorry!_

Nathan's jaw clenched as he fought the urge to pound his fist into the wall. They just couldn't catch a damn break. He took a moment to calm himself down. The last thing he needed was to call more attention to himself by storming back into class completely pissed off. When Nathan finally felt like he was in control again, he left the closet and walked out into the hallway.

"Nathan," a voice called behind him.

Nathan glanced over his shoulder and felt his body become rigid, once again. He did not feel like dealing with that jerk-off right now. He faced forward and kept right on walking.

"Nathan. Nathan!" Adam called after him. "Scott, don't act like you don't hear me!"

"As much as I'd love to chat, I have to get to class," Nathan replied flippantly, still walking.

Adam ran to his side. "We both know that's a crock of shit."

"Whatever."

"I have to talk to you."

"Yeah, well, I don't have to listen," Nathan retorted. He felt Adam's hand on his arm, dragging him into an empty, nearby classroom. "Get your fucking hands off me, Sykes."

"I have a bone to pick with you."

"And I'm going to break one of yours if you don't let go," Nathan threatened.

Adam removed his hand. "Like I actually want to touch you," he scoffed.

"Whatever. I'm not doing this now." Nathan made a move to leave when Adam stepped in front of him.

"You _will_ hear me out."

"I don't have to fucking do anything," Nathan gritted out. He was seriously starting to lose his temper all over again. And with nobody else around, the idea of popping Adam one was looking better by the second.

"I want to know what the hell you did to Haley," Adam ordered.

"What?" Nathan asked, taken aback.

"I want to know what the hell you did to Haley," he repeated. "Did you say something to her? I bet you threatened her, didn't you?"

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, but I haven't talked to her. And I sure as hell would never threaten her. Where the hell are you getting this shit from?"

"Well, you had to have done something to fuck me over."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't act like you're so innocent. I'm sure you're the one who convinced her to stop tutoring me."

"She stopped tutoring you?" Nathan questioned. He was surprised but unable to hide the satisfaction from his voice. It explained why Adam had been giving him more death glares than usual over the last few days.

"Yeah, she did."

Nathan shrugged. "I had no idea."

"Like hell you did."

"I didn't know about it," Nathan replied, which happened to be the truth. "Did she say why?"

"I'm sure you know."

"Why don't you cut this cryptic shit, since I obviously have no clue what you're trying to get at here."

"I asked her out, and she said no."

Nathan smirked. "Well, there's your problem right there."

"The only reason she said no was because of you."

"Me?" Nathan responded, trying to appear shocked by the statement.

"Yes. Ever since you flipped out on me in the hallway, she's been pulling away from me."

"That's funny. I didn't even know you guys were together."

"And I'm pretty sure you've been in contact with her since then."

"Only pretty sure?" he remarked.

Adam folded his arms defensively. "Regardless, I know that you turned her against me somehow."

"Or maybe Haley just realized what a slimy son of a bitch you really are," Nathan suggested. "I mean, she is a smart girl."

"That's right. She finally dropped your good-for-nothing ass, didn't she?"

Nathan shrugged casually. "She had her reasons. As stupid as I think they are, I have to respect them."

"Well, you must have pulled a real doozy seeing as though she's now joined Clean Teens, too."

"Again, that was her choice. I had nothing to do with that either," he lied.

"Like hell you didn't."

"Look, Adam, I don't know what you want from me. Haley and I are over."

"I want you to leave her the hell alone. Everyone knows you're still stuck on her," Adam pointed out. "You don't think that has an affect on her?"

"So let me get this straight: you're telling me that I should stop having feelings for Haley, because it's interfering with your attempts to hook up with my ex-girlfriend?"

"That's one way of looking at it."

Nathan let out an edgy laugh. "Wow, you're some piece of work, Adam. You really are."

"We have an understanding, then?"

"Hell no. From what I understand, you're trying to force yourself on a girl who's just not into you. She may be vulnerable right now, but she's not stupid."

"She knows that I could make her happy. She's just scared."

"You don't know shit about her."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't. Do you really think that a few tutoring sessions spent talking about whatever stupid subject you're flunking is going to create the foundation of a relationship?"

"Haley tutored me for months. She was even dating you at the time. Who knows, maybe the real reason why you broke up is because she liked me better," Adam taunted.

Nathan snorted. "You are so far off, it's not even funny."

"Jealous, Scott? It must suck knowing that while Haley was with you, she was thinking of me the whole time."

Nathan could feel his temper rise further but tried to keep it under control. He seriously wanted nothing more than to punch this creep in the face at the moment. But there were other ways to put Adam in his place without laying a hand on him. "Really? Because based on what you just told me, it seems like Haley is actually thinking about me when she's with you. Why else would she turn you down?

"And that's assuming she ever thought about you. I mean, she did join Clean Teens. And they're not allowed to date anyone outside of their little group, you know? So if she actually gave a damn about you, something tells me she wouldn't have taken that route." Nathan smirked when he noticed Adam tense up. He was practically seething.

"Jealous, Sykes? It must suck to know that even though we're broken up, Haley will still always be _my_ girl," Nathan mocked, using his previous words against him. "Even if she did give you a chance, you have to know that deep down you'd only always be second best."

Adam's eyes narrowed into slits. Nathan just smiled. "So here's some advice. _You _stay the hell away from Haley. Because if I ever find out that you've been harassing her or giving her a hard time, I promise you that not even she will be able stop me from bringing you down the next time."

~***~

"Ugh, thank God I'm home," Haley proclaimed as she walked through her front door.

Lucas chuckled behind her. "Let me guess, bad day?"

"You have no idea."

"Did you want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing new. Life is just crazy. I'm stressed about college. Then I have to balance school, work, tutoring, cheerleading, and Clean Teens. And let's not forget that I'm pretending that my boyfriend and I broke up—which is the reason why I never get to see him. Add on the fact that I have another jackass jock pursuing me and you get why I want nothing more than to crawl up into a ball and die," Haley rambled.

"Haley," Lucas said in a serious voice while placing a hand on her shoulder. "You know it's not nice to call Nathan a jackass jock. He is my brother."

Haley rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling at his little joke. "Ha ha," she mocked. "You're so funny!"

"Hey, I at least got you to smile," Lucas defended. "But in all honesty, Hales, if you're too tired or stressed out right now to hang out, I don't have to stay. We can get together another time."

"No, I want you here," Haley told him. "I need a break. And who better to distract me than my best friend?"

Lucas gave her a beaming smile. "You do have a point."

Haley made her way into the kitchen with Lucas by her side.

"I'm assuming your parents aren't home."

"Nope. My dad had to attend some conference for his work in Charlotte so my mom went with him. While he's there, she plans on lounging around at the hotel. They'll be back on Friday."

"Sweet. Par-tay!" Lucas joked as he made his way to the refrigerator.

"Easy does it you mooch," Haley teased. "I'm going to need all the food I can to survive the rest of the week."

"Hey, I resent that." Lucas grabbed a carton of milk and a cookie from the jar on the counter. He also took a bag of chips from the cupboard. "Besides, we both know you're a good cook."

"Well, I can't cook if I don't have any food, now can I?" she pointed out.

Lucas smiled. "Touché."

Haley grabbed them a couple of glasses. She also took a cookie for herself.

"So, did you want to elaborate on that whole jackass jock thing you mentioned before?" Lucas questioned as he poured them both some milk.

"Do I have to?" she complained.

"Yes."

"Fine. Adam was in the Tutoring Center flipping out on me because I assigned him another tutor."

"You did?"

"Yeah. I obviously can't help him if he's—"

"Constantly trying to make a move on you."

"Well, I guess."

"Hales, this has gone on long enough. Do you want me to talk to him?" Lucas questioned.

"No."

"Haley."

"I took care of it. I think…"

"That's it. I'm talking to him," Lucas declared.

"Luke—"

"Just because Nathan has to sit back and bite his tongue does not mean that I do, too. I'm still your best friend and if someone is bothering then it's my right to kick his ass."

"You said you'd talk to him. Now you're going to kick his ass?" she pointed out.

"Well, that all depends on if he cooperates."

Haley rolled her eyes. "What is it with you guys and hitting people?"

"I don't know," he replied with shrug. "Sometimes it just gets the job done. You should try it."

Haley smiled.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed when she smacked him in the back of the head.

"You know, that is kind of fun."

"I didn't mean hit me."

"You didn't specify," she teased.

"Fine," Lucas said with a mischievous smile. "The gloves are coming off now."

Haley stared at him suspiciously. "What are talking about?"

"I know you're weakness, Haley James," Lucas declared.

"You wouldn't," Haley said with wide eyes as she stood up.

He followed suit. "Oh, I would."

Haley started to back out of the kitchen. "Don't, Luke."

"Sorry, Hales. You asked for it now."

"Lucas Eugene Scott, don't tickle me!" she demanded.

"Uh-oh. Saying my middle name just earned you five more minutes of torture," Lucas joked.

It was in that moment that Haley completely turned around and made a run for it. Unfortunately, her best friend was quicker. Lucas managed to catch up to her in no time. Before Haley knew it, she'd fallen onto the couch with Lucas on top of her. He continued his tickling assault, causing her to laugh harder than she had all day.

~***~

Haley felt herself slowly slip back into consciousness. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, and her body was exhausted. She groaned in annoyance. Why was she awake?

Haley turned to look at her alarm clock. It was only two o'clock in the morning. Haley readjusted her blankets and closed her eyes, once again. It was then that she heard a soft tap on her window. Her eyes shot open as she listened intently. A second later, Haley heard it again.

_What the hell? _The sound came a third time. Haley got up, pulled open her curtains, and stared down into her yard. She felt her earlier annoyance disappear when she saw her boyfriend standing below. Haley quickly opened her window.

"Nathan, what are you doing here?"

"Can I come up?" he asked.

She nodded her head, giving him permission. Nathan hurriedly made his way up the tree and through her window. "What were you throwing at my window?"

"Pebbles," he whispered.

"You could've just come up, you know?"

"I didn't know if your parents would hear me."

"Well, they're not home. So you can stop whispering," she giggled.

"Oh." He laughed. "I guess that makes things easier."

Haley smiled as Nathan brought her into a hug and kissed her deeply.

"You don't know how badly I wanted to do that today," he mumbled once they'd broken apart.

"I'm sorry I couldn't meet you. My teacher caught us all off guard."

"It's not your fault."

Haley brushed her lips against his. "Mmm, well, I'm glad you're here now," she murmured. "Why are you here, by the way?"

"I just needed to see you," he said while running his hands through her unruly bed hair. "I'm sorry I woke you up. It's just that it's the only time I can legitimately see you."

"I don't mind." As tired as she was, Haley would take these rare moments with Nathan anytime.

"Why don't you lie down," Nathan suggested.

"You're not going, are you?" she questioned in a panic. He just got there, and they hadn't spent nearly as much time together as she would've liked.

"No. But I can't very well wear my school clothes and shoes in your bed now, can I?" he joked.

Haley kissed his cheek before getting back in bed. She watched as Nathan stripped down to his boxers, enjoying the view. He reached into her top drawer and grabbed a pair of pajama pants that he kept there for nights like this.

As soon as he got in bed, Haley cuddled up next to him.

"You're so cold," he commented while rubbing her bare arms.

"Well, it is winter," she reminded him.

Nathan brought her more snugly against his body to warm her up. He sighed in contentment when he felt Haley leave a few soft kisses on his chest.

"I know that I've said this probably a hundred times, but I miss you."

"I miss you, too," Nathan stated. "I think if I stare at you anymore than I do, people are going to think I'm obsessed with you."

"As much as I love being the object of Nathan Scott's obsession," she kidded, causing him to laugh, "you probably shouldn't do that. You never know if something might get back to Dan."

"You don't have to worry about that. All my dad cares about is making sure we're not together. He doesn't give a damn about feelings."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get in trouble."

He lightly caressed her cheek. "Hales, if I thought it would be a problem, I wouldn't do it. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Besides, I'm more afraid of Shelley's wrath than my dad's," he joked.

Haley groaned. "Don't even get me started on her."

"That bad, huh?"

"Let's just say she caught me looking at you a few times, and I've been catching hell ever since."

"I'm sorry, Hales," he sympathized.

"It just sucks, because all we can do is stare at one another. I mean, you've got basketball, college scouts, Dan, and working at the dealership to worry about. Then I've got cheerleading, Clean Teens, college applications, the café, and tutoring. We're so swamped that we never get to spend any time together."

"I know. But I worry about you more. That's a lot to juggle, Hales. Are you sure you can handle it?" Nathan questioned, concerned. He could tell that she was overwhelmed.

"Yes, I just…I just wish we had more time to spend together and relax," she declared while burying her head in his chest.

Nathan rubbed her back soothingly in silence for a couple of minutes. "What if I had a way for us to do that?" he finally spoke up. There was another reason why he had to see Haley tonight.

Haley lifted her head to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it turns out that I'm not exactly the most studious student. I'm just barely passing my classes."

"Is it that bad?" Haley asked worriedly.

"If my grades get any lower I'll probably get kicked off of the basketball team."

"Nathan, your whole future depends on basketball. I mean, if you don't get an athletic scholarship, how are you going to pay for college?" Haley knew that the last thing Nathan wanted was for Dan to pay for his schooling. It would just be another hold he'd have over his son.

"I know that—which is why I've decided that I need a tutor," he announced. "And since you kicked that good-for-nothing Adam's ass to the curb, I know you have an opening. So I figured that maybe you'd take on a hopeless case like me."

"How did you know about Adam? And you are not hopeless, by the way," she added sternly.

"I ran into him today," Nathan explained. "And trust me, when you see my test scores, you'll know how much I suck at school."

"What do you mean you ran into him today?"

"Well, he actually ran into me. He was pissed at me, because he thought that I was the reason you dropped him."

"Crap. What did you tell him?"

"I told him a few things. We had a little chat," Nathan said with a smirk.

"You didn't hit him, did you?" Haley asked warily. "Because I swear, between you and Lucas with your 'talking' I can't—"

"Wait, what did Lucas do? Did he hit him?" Nathan inquired with interest.

"_No_. I told him be better not."

"Damn." Haley gave him a look. "What? He deserves it."

"Violence is never the answer," she stressed. "And he's just planning on confronting Adam."

"Well, I already told Adam to leave you the hell alone. He won't mess with you again," Nathan informed her. "But it wouldn't hurt for Lucas to say something, too."

"You really think he'll leave me alone?"

"Trust me. He will."

Haley gave him a skeptical look. "What exactly did you say to him?"

"Just guy stuff. Don't worry about it."

Haley was about to question him further, but the resolved expression on his face halted her. She wouldn't get anything else out of him. Besides, at least Adam would leave her alone. That was the important thing.

"Thank you," Haley whispered before leaning up to kiss him. She loved when he was so protective of her.

"You're welcome," Nathan mumbled against her lips. He then added, "You still haven't given me an answer yet, though."

She pulled back a bit and gave him a confused look. "An answer to what?"

"Being my tutor," he reminded her. "I mean, we'd get to see each other a lot more often. And getting my grades up couldn't hurt."

"You're serious?"

"Yes," Nathan said, meeting her gaze.

"But when would we meet? We can't do it at school. And my afternoons and nights are pretty full."

"Afternoons and nights suck for me, too. I was thinking in the morning before school would be best. We could meet at the docks everyday or every other day. Whatever is best for you," Nathan explained.

Haley thought about it for a moment, trying to work it out in her head.

"So what do you say, Haley James? Will you be my tutor?" he requested with a charming grin.

Haley couldn't help but give him a glowing smile back. "Yes."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Haley bit her lip as her hand ran through Nathan's hair. She couldn't believe that they were doing this. Well, actually, she could believe it. But this wasn't, technically, what they were supposed to be doing.

Nathan had picked Haley up twenty minutes ago at her house. They were supposed to go to the dock and start their first day of tutoring. They'd made it to the dock as planned. However, that's as far as they got before they practically pounced on each other.

Their mouths had collided with so much force and passion that it left Haley reeling. They kissed in Nathan's car for a couple of minutes before they both got annoyed with the console between them. That's when Nathan pushed his seat back and pulled her over to squeeze in next to him.

The pair had quickly shed their winter coats to gain more room and be closer to each other. It wasn't long before Nathan's shirt was discarded, too. Despite the winter chill outside, the inside of the car was surprisingly toasty. Just thinking about why that might be had Haley's cheeks burning up further.

One of Nathan's hands was buried in her long golden locks as the other gripped her shirt at her waist. His face was nuzzled in her neck as he nipped and sucked at her soft skin. After weeks of being separated, he just couldn't get enough of her.

"Nathan?"

"Mmm?" he replied, distracted.

"S-shouldn't we be doing…" Haley lost her train of thought for a moment as his hand slipped under her shirt to stroke her stomach and back.

"Doing what? This?" Nathan moved his mouth back over hers. He could still taste her strawberry lip gloss on her now swollen lips. It was his favorite and only served to drive him crazier.

"Nathan, I'm your tutor," she finally got out.

"I know," he said, smirking. He left more kisses on her face. "You're the best."

"We're supposed to be working on math."

"Math can wait," Nathan mumbled while sliding one of his hands down her jean-clad thigh. He then hitched it over his waist to bring her closer. "I'd rather work on you."

All coherent thought flew out of Haley's mind when she felt him attacking her sweet spot just under neck. She gripped Nathan tighter and moaned out loud when she felt his back muscles flexing under her fingertips. She was such a sucker for those muscles of his. But, of course, that little voice in the back of her head couldn't be silent for long—no matter how good her boyfriend was making her feel right now.

"Nathan," she tried again.

He brushed his lips against hers. "What?"

Haley took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. That was the only way she was going to keep his attention. "Baby, as much as I love you and want you right now, I feel like we're cheating or something," she rushed out.

Nathan frowned. "Cheating? Why?"

"Because you need help, and I'm supposed to be tutoring you."

"Hales," he sighed.

"I know it's not what you want to hear right now, but I'm serious."

"Haley, us meeting like this isn't just about tutoring. It's our chance to spend some time together. And considering the last couple of weeks we've had, I think we've completely earned the right to make out."

"Well, we did make out the other night in my room," she reminded him.

Nathan smirked. "So? That's not enough. I need to make out with you at least three times a week if I'm going to stay sane."

"Shut up," Haley laughed with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm serious. All I can do is stare at you all day. And when I stare at you, I think about you. And when I think about you, I want to kiss you. It's like the Haley James channel in my head all day everyday," he joked.

"I guess we know why you're not doing well in school. You should be paying attention in class, Nathan."

"I'd much rather zone out on you."

"Oh, I know. That's the problem."

"Hey, I can't help it if my girlfriend is sexy. And then with you wearing that Clean Teen shirt—"

"Wait, what does my shirt have to do with anything?" she interrupted.

"It's really hot, Hales."

Her mouth dropped open in shock. "Now I know you're lying."

"No, I mean it."

"You can't be serious," she said in disbelief.

Nathan fingered the rim of the shirt, purposely making sure to come into contact with her skin. He smiled when Haley involuntarily shivered. "Oh, I am. I mean, don't get me wrong, I never thought I'd be saying that. But after seeing it on you, I have to admit that it's a turn on."

"Why?" Her voice came out a little breathier than she'd intended.

"I don't know. Clean Teens are supposed to be pure and innocent."

"Are you saying that I'm not?" she playfully challenged.

"No, you are—sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" Haley asked incredulously.

"I just mean that you're here making out with me when you're not supposed to. You've got the whole good girl and bad ass thing going on at once. It's like I get the best of both worlds," he explained with a satisfied smirk.

Haley tried, unsuccessfully, to hide her blush. "Oh."

"Also, just seeing the word 'virgin' on your back and knowing that I'm the only one who'll get to—"

"Nathan Royal Scott, do not finish that sentence," Haley quickly shushed him by placing her hand over his mouth. She could feel her face flaming up even more than before.

He kissed her fingers that were against his mouth. "What?" came his innocent yet muffled voice.

She gave him a look. "You know what."

"It's just the truth," Nathan replied after removing her hand.

"You do remember that I want to wait until I'm married, right?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So it's going to be a while before you…" she trailed off, embarrassed, when she saw him smiling. She chose her words carefully afterward. "Who said it's going to be you? I might marry someone else."

Nathan snorted. "Oh, it'll be me. Trust me."

"Now I know you're delusional."

"What?"

"Since when does Nathan Scott think about marriage?"

"Since I found a girl I could see myself marrying."

Haley pushed at his chest and looked away from him. "Stop it."

"What?"

"You're embarrassing me."

"Why?"

"B-because," she stuttered, "we're in high school! It's not normal."

"So? We're not normal," Nathan stated. He brought his hand to her face and forced her to meet his gaze. "I mean, why would we go through all of this crap if we didn't truly love each other? Other people probably would've just given up and broken up by now."

"You really mean it?" she whispered after a moment.

"You know I do. I don't ever want to be normal, Hales. Not with you."

Nathan caressed her cheek as they sat there in silence. He watched her carefully as she seemed to think about something.

"Hales, what's the matter?" he questioned, concerned. "Did I freak you out? Because it's not like I'm asking you marry me now or—"

"I know," she interrupted. "It's not that. I just…"

"You just what?" he prodded, trying to figure out what she was thinking. Nathan really hoped that he hadn't freaked her out. That wasn't his intention. He had meant what he said, though. Nathan could see himself marrying Haley down the line. She was unlike any other woman he'd ever met. He never wanted to lose her.

Haley snuggled closer to him and brushed her lips gently against his. "I just didn't expect to feel this strongly about someone this young."

"You're telling me," he joked.

She smiled. "We haven't even figured out what we're doing for college yet."

"Have you heard from anywhere else?"

"Yeah. I got a letter from Columbia."

"Let me guess, you got in."

"Actually, I didn't."

Nathan's eyes widened in shock. "What? Are you serious?"

"Yup."

"What the hell?"

Haley laughed at his outraged expression. "It's okay, Nathan. I wasn't actually dying to go there."

"Yeah, well, what the hell do they know?" he mumbled.

"Really, I don't care. I just thought I'd give it a shot."

"Did you hear from anywhere else?"

"No. You?"

"Yeah, Wake Forest wants me. And so does UNC."

"That's awesome, Nathan," she enthused.

"Thanks."

"So when will you hear from Duke?" Haley questioned with a knowing smile.

Nathan smirked at how in tune she was with him. "The scout is coming to the game tonight, actually."

"Are you nervous?"

"A little bit," he admitted. "Mostly I'm just trying to focus on playing." He didn't want to psych himself out like Lucas had done before. It was best if he just concentrated on the game. If he could do that, Nathan knew that the rest would fall into place.

"You're going to be amazing."

"Says my favorite cheerleader," he teased.

"Damn straight, mister," Haley replied, poking his chest.

Nathan just smiled and leaned in to kiss her affectionately.

"I'm afraid to ask, but what did Dan say?"

"About the scout?"

"No. About you getting into those schools," Haley clarified.

"Nothing."

She looked at him, surprised. "Really?"

"Well, that's probably because he doesn't know yet."

"How can he not know? I would've bet money that he'd be scouring the mail or something."

"Oh, he has. That's why I've made sure to put my mom's address on all of the applications."

Nathan didn't want to take any chances with Dan. He just knew his father would look through his letters and try to see which schools wanted him. He wouldn't put it past Dan to even withhold some important information from him. His dad would do anything he could to get what he wanted.

He could just imagine what his dad would say if he saw some of the other colleges Nathan was applying to. Dan would blow a gasket if he found out that Nathan was considering a place like Stanford. It wasn't exactly known for its basketball program—which would only lead his father to probe further about why Nathan was looking into it at all. By sending the mail to his old house, he at least had some control over his future without the influence of his father.

"Wow, Nathan, I'm impressed. That was pretty clever and sneaky."

"I know. I'm good like that," he joked.

"How long do you think it'll take him to figure it out?"

"Hopefully not before I find a way to get him out of my life for good."

"You'll find a way," Haley encouraged while stroking his cheek. "I know it."

"I wish I had as much optimism as you. I just…I can't stand that he has this hold over me. I mean, it's essentially been there all my life. But it's never been as bad as this. I feel like a prisoner, Hales."

Haley pulled him into a comforting hug. "I know you do, baby," she whispered. "But your time will come."

"You really think so?" He leaned his forehead against hers and met her gaze.

"Yes, I truly believe that. I think everything happens for a reason."

Nathan placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"You're always helping me and supporting me, Hales. Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky," he revealed.

"Like I said, everything happens for a reason," she explained before touching her lips to his. "It also helps that you're hot."

Nathan just smirked as he wound his hand through her hair and brought her face back to his in a searing kiss. It wasn't long before he felt the previous passion and heat start to build between them.

Haley's hand remained on Nathan's face as the other returned to its original spot on his back. She couldn't help but moan at the feel of his muscles all over again. It was crazy how one minute they could have a serious conversation and the next they were practically devouring each other.

She groaned in protest when he pulled away from her mid-kiss. "Nathan."

"Sorry, but we do only have about twenty minutes before we head to school. Didn't you say you wanted to study?" he reminded her while trying to suppress a laugh at her flustered face.

Despite the haze forming in her mind, Haley knew that he was messing with her. She was just about to let him have it when she felt his fingers tracing the outline of her already swollen and sensitive lips. Suddenly, all coherent thought was gone as she felt her inherent want and need for him return.

"Oh, what the hell," Haley mused and quickly pulled him back. "We can study on Monday."

~***~

Nathan sighed at his desk. It was yet another Saturday that he was forced to work. You would think that after the great basketball game he played last night in front of the Duke scout, his father would let him skip work and take a break. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

"Nathan," Dan called over the phone's intercom.

_Speak of the devil_, he thought.

"Yes?" Nathan replied.

"Get in here."

Nathan bit back a groan and pushed away from his desk. He then trudged into his father's office. "What is it, Dad?"

"You see this pile of papers by my desk?"

"Yeah."

"I need to you to shred those like the last ones."

"Okay," Nathan responded, not understanding why his father called him all the way into his office for this.

"You did get rid of the last ones, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Nathan lied. The truth was he'd pushed them into a pile under his desk one day, because he was so busy. He just couldn't get to them. Until now, he'd forgotten that they were even there. But he wasn't about to tell his father that. He didn't need to give Dan another reason to chew out his ass. Nathan would wait until his father had one of his meetings before he got rid of the original pile.

"By the way, Nathan," Dan said as Nathan made his way towards the door.

"What?"

"I want you to go for a run when you're done this afternoon. Your conditioning was for crap last night. You better hope that scout can overlook that."

Nathan bit his tongue to keep from snapping at his father. He quickly turned around to go back to his desk. Nathan had played a damn good game last night. "One of his bests" as Whitey had said. Dan could never give him credit.

Nathan placed the stack of papers on top of his desk before walking over to Marcy's.

"Hey, handsome," Marcy greeted. "Your father working you hard?"

"When doesn't he?" Nathan muttered.

Marcy laughed, oblivious to the bitter truth behind his words. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to borrow your paper shredder."

"Sure." She got up, unplugged its cord from the wall, and handed it to him. "Here you go."

Nathan didn't miss the way her hand conveniently brushed against his. That had been happening a lot lately. Mostly he just tried to shake it off. "Uh, thanks."

"Anytime," she responded with a wink.

Nathan returned to his desk and set up the shredder. He went through the pile rather quickly. He peered out from his cubicle and noticed that his father wasn't in his office. Dan was probably in his meeting. Nathan reached under his desk and pulled out the larger stack of papers he'd forgotten about. He put the first few documents into the shredder. He was just about to shred the fourth one when something caught his eye.

He recognized this document from when he'd been helping Marcy with the filing a couple of weeks ago. But as Nathan looked it over, he could've sworn that some of the information was different. Nathan dropped the paper on his desk and walked back towards Marcy's.

"Do you need something else, Nathan?"

"I was wondering if I could look through one of the files. I just want to check something."

"Sure, go ahead. Take whatever you need," she answered with a charming smile.

"Thanks."

It only took a moment for Nathan to find the one he wanted. He brought it back to his work area and placed it next to the other document. Nathan looked over the two and compared them.

He frowned in confusion. _What the hell? _


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Nathan looked around quickly to make sure that the coast was clear. He then sprinted onto the front porch and knocked on the door. It took a minute or two before the door finally opened.

"Dude, it's…" Lucas trailed off and glanced behind him. His sweatpants and t-shirt were askew, as was his messy hair. "Six o'clock on a Sunday morning."

"I know. I'm sorry. But I have something really important that I need to tell you."

"It can't wait?"

"Dan's got me training again later today. Now is the only time I have to myself."

Lucas sighed and rubbed his eyes. He stepped aside to let Nathan enter. "Fine. But this better be good."

"Oh, it is," Nathan assured him. He took a seat on Lucas' desk chair and dropped his bag to the floor. Lucas sat on the bed across from him.

"So what exactly is this about?" Lucas questioned.

"Well, you know how I've been working at the dealership everyday?"

"Yeah."

"Dan keeps me pretty busy. He makes me answer the phones, file, copy, shred, email—"

"Jeez, you hang out too much with Haley. Please tell me there's a point to this little ramble."

Nathan rolled his eyes at his brother. Lucas could be so crabby in the morning. "Yes, there is. I do all of these things for Dan around the office. So—I think it was a couple of weeks ago—he gives me this stack of papers to shred for him. Then, another day, he has me helping Marcy file."

"Who's Marcy?"

"His secretary."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Anyway, I help her file. Then, yesterday, my dad gives me another stack of papers to shred."

"So? Office work sucks. Big deal."

"Well, I realized that I'd forgotten to shred the other pile that he'd originally given me."

"Did he find out?"

"No. I started to do it when he was in a meeting," Nathan explained. "And that's when I found something really interesting."

"What?" Lucas asked with a mixture of intrigue and confusion.

"I found this file in the pile I was supposed to shred," Nathan said, pulling it out of his backpack. "It's a bill of sale." He handed it to Lucas to look at.

"Okay…"

"I knew that I'd seen it before when I was helping Marcy file that other time. But I could've sworn that some of the information looked different. And I remembered it because the woman got this really ugly orange color for her car."

"Nice," Lucas chuckled.

Nathan smirked. "Anyway, I went back to find the other file. I pulled that out and looked it over. Guess what I found?"

"What?"

"The difference that I couldn't quite put my finger on was the amount of money she paid for the car," Nathan answered as he pulled out the copy he'd made of the document. He also handed that to Lucas.

Lucas glanced over the two. "The one you were supposed to shred says she paid $12,000."

"But the other one says it was $9,000."

"Well, maybe this old one is wrong. They could've renegotiated and changed it. That's probably why Dan wanted you to shred it."

"That's what I figured at first. At least until I called Kristen Cusio—that's her name—to make sure."

"What'd she say?"

"She said that she paid $12,000 for the car—_in_ _cash_," he emphasized.

"Wait. If she paid more for the car, then why does it say…" Lucas trailed off.

Nathan could see that his brother was thinking it through. It didn't take long before the realization seemed to hit him.

"No way," he said in disbelief.

"Oh, yes. And that's not the only document like that. I found at least ten more cash sales that were different," Nathan stated, "I called all of those people, too."

"What'd they say?"

"The same thing. They'd all paid the higher amount on the original bill of sales."

Lucas ran a hand through his hair. "Shit, Nathan, this could be…big."

"I know. I mean, the cash sales aren't that much money compared to the other ones but—"

"It doesn't matter. He's still pocketing money from the sales. That's got to be illegal."

Nathan nodded in agreement. "I was hoping that you could do some research for me. I need to know exactly why Dan's doing it this way."

"Sure. I'll see what I can find."

"And don't mention this to anyone. Not even Haley," Nathan stressed. "This has to stay between us."

"You sure? Because I'm sure Haley could do a better job of finding things out than me. Plus, if what Dan is doing is actually illegal, this could be your leverage to get away from him for good," Lucas said. "Don't you think Haley would like to know that?"

"She's got enough going on right now. And I'm not positive how this whole money thing will play out. I'd rather not drag her into this and give her false hope for nothing. The less people that know the better."

"Well, I won't say anything. You have my word," Lucas promised.

"Thanks, man." That's why Nathan had come to him. He knew that he could trust Lucas.

Like his brother said, this thing that Nathan found could be big. It also made him think a lot about why his father had put him in charge of shredding the documents and not Marcy. She was the person to usually handle those types of things. Not him. It hadn't taken long for Nathan to figure out that Dan was trying to play him for a fool. Marcy worked with the regular files all of the time. She would notice if there were inconsistencies. She'd probably question his father.

But Nathan, he would have no clue what he was doing. And he hadn't. The cash sales had been mixed in with other junk paperwork. Nathan had been ready to destroy those key documents without a second glance. Nathan had already disposed of some without realizing their significance.

Not now, though. Nathan was onto his father's scheme. And he was going to do everything he could to use it to his advantage. Dan wasn't the only person in the family that could play dirty.

"Nathan, did you keep the other files you were supposed to shred?"

"Yeah. And I made copies of the 'legitimate' ones," he replied, making air quotes. "Which reminds me, I was wondering if I could leave this stuff with you. There's no way I can keep it at my house." The last thing Nathan needed was for Dan to find the documents and be aware that someone was onto him.

"Sure."

Nathan handed him the papers. "And make sure you put them somewhere your mom won't look."

"I will. Don't worry."

"Thanks, Luke," Nathan stated sincerely.

"You're welcome," Lucas replied. "Besides, I think it's time that Dan learned karma is a bitch."

~***~

"I don't even know why I'm shopping. It's not like I can wear any of this stuff."

"Hey, part of shopping is offering your friends moral support in their purchases," Brooke declared.

"Whatever," Haley mumbled. She did not feel like being at the mall right now.

"It's not like you have to wear that stupid shirt all of the time," Peyton reminded her.

"Yeah. You'll need some new normal things for later," Kat agreed.

Haley sighed in frustration. "As far as I know, I'm stuck like this until graduation."

"By the way, I have to ask," Brooke interjected. "What did your parents say when they found out you were in Clean Teens?"

"I didn't tell them."

"Really?" Peyton questioned.

"Come on, you guys have met my parents. Do you think they'd ever let me live this down?" Haley just knew that her parents would tease her mercilessly. That's why she always made sure not to wear her shirt around the house.

"Probably not," Kat teased. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself."

"On the bright side, it is quite the attention-getter among guys," Peyton pointed out as a group of boys stared at them while walking by.

"Oh, please," Haley scoffed. "They were looking at you guys. Not me."

"No, I definitely saw a few hotties checking you out," Brooke told her. "They totally had that lustful look in their eyes."

"Oh, shut up," Haley laughed while nudging her.

"I'm serious. You have any extra shirts I can borrow? I could totally have some fun with that. I bet Lucas would blow a gasket."

"B. Davis, have you no shame?" Peyton busted her up.

"Nope."

"You're awful," Haley teased.

"Like Nathan doesn't get turned on by that thing," Brooke challenged. "I see the way he sneaks glances at you. That boy is all kinds of hot and bothered."

Both Peyton and Kat laughed.

Haley immediately felt her face turn red at Brooke's words. "Tigger, please shut up."

"I will as soon as you admit that I'm right."

"You're insane is what you are."

"Come on. Say it, Haley," Brooke coaxed, nudging her and smiling. "I'm waiting."

"Brooke—"

"If you don't tell me, I'm just going to walk up to Nathan the next time I see him and ask him."

"You will not!"

"Oh, she will," Peyton spoke up. "She's like a dog with a bone, Haley."

"Let's get her spayed, then."

"Well, I'm a little curious, too," Kat admitted. "What does Nathan think about it?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Great, Brooke. Look what you've started."

"I didn't start anything. We're your friends. And as your friends, we need to talk about the serious issues: boys and sex."

"Ugh, fine!" Haley relented. She knew that they wouldn't stop until she told them anyway. "Nathan thinks my Clean Teen shirt is very sexy. He told me so himself. Happy now?"

"I knew it!" Brooke beamed proudly. "I knew Boy Toy would like it. Now I'm definitely getting one for myself."

"You have to join Clean Teens to get one, you know?" Peyton reminded her.

"No, I don't. Shelley always keeps extras on her. I'll bribe some little freshman to snag me one. No big deal."

"Brooke, that's stealing," Haley informed her.

"Hey, that little hypocrite called me a slut. She deserves it."

"Seeing as though you're taking the shirt so you and Lucas can…play," Kat declared, giggling, "I wonder where she got that idea from."

"Okay, so maybe I was a little promiscuous when I first started high school. But I have a boyfriend now. And there is nothing wrong with having a healthy sex drive."

"Can you keep it down? People are staring," Haley observed. "Let's just talk about something else. Please?"

"Oh, fine. Whatever. We have more stores to visit and shopping to do anyway."

The trio followed Brooke into another clothing store.

"It'll be Christmas in a little over a week," Kat said, changing the subject. "What are you all doing?"

"I'm going to the same snobby and lame Christmas party my parents drag me to every year in New York," Brooke answered. "All they do is kiss everyone's asses at that thing to promote their company."

"What about you, Peyton?" Kat asked.

"My dad and I are going to my grandmother's. She lives in Charleston."

"That's nice," Haley commented.

"Haley?" Kat questioned her next.

"My parents will be hosting Christmas dinner this year. Most of my siblings are coming to visit."

Brooke smiled. "I always wished that I'd had a brother or sister. That'll be fun."

"It'll be chaos. My family is nuts."

"Can't be as bad as mine. My mother's side barely gets along with my father's side, and they're all invited to our house this year," Kat explained. "It's going to be World War III."

"Good luck with that." Brooke patted her shoulder. "By the way, Tutor Girl, I made a list of Christmas presents I would like you to push Lucas in the direction of getting me."

"What?"

"Ooh, a shoe sale!"

Haley, Peyton, and Kat all laughed as Brooke ran towards the display of marked down shoes.

Peyton shook her head in amusement. "I swear that girl has the attention span of a two year old."

~***~

Nathan bent over and took deep breaths. He'd just finished his weekend training session. Usually he hated having to lift weights and run a few miles on a Sunday afternoon. Nathan was always going to basketball practice and working out. He at least wanted one day where he could take a break and relax. His father, like always, wouldn't allow it—hence why Nathan was running his ass off in the cold December weather.

But today was different. Nathan didn't mind it as much. He'd been keyed up ever since his talk with Lucas this morning. There were so many different thoughts and emotions running through him. Nathan always knew that Dan could be a snake. He just didn't realize how prominent that attribute was in all aspects of his father's life.

While his dad had not always been the best family man, it couldn't be denied that Dan had a head for business. Scott Motors was well on its way to becoming the largest car dealership in North Carolina. Though it was true that the only reason Dan was able to start the business was because of the money his mom's rich family had leant him, his dad had still managed to make a huge profit.

Nathan was sure that his father wasn't a saint in all of his business dealings. Dan was the type of guy who loved to prey on others' weaknesses and gain the upperhand. However, Nathan never would've thought that his father would actually be stealing money from his own company. It was shady, even for him.

A part of Nathan was angry that his father would do something like that. It was just another reason for Nathan to be ashamed of him. Another reason that showed his father had no conscience.

But despite that, a larger part of Nathan couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief. Nathan was desperate to get out from under Dan's control. And this new information could be his ticket to freedom. It seemed like his father wasn't the only one in the family with a dirty little secret.

Nathan could already feel the excitement and anticipation starting to rush in his veins. He tried to rein it in. All he had at the moment was a small pile of documents that suggested embezzlement. Nathan wasn't sure if they'd be enough to nail his dad. He couldn't count on that yet. Not without more research—which Nathan hoped Lucas could complete fairly quickly. Until then, he had to sit tight and focus on his daily life.

This new development gave Nathan some hope, though. He could at least admit that.

"Good, you're back," Dan said as Nathan walked in the back door to the kitchen. "How was your run?"

"Long," Nathan answered while grabbing another bottled water from the refrigerator.

"Keep it up. You don't want to look soft in front of the scouts."

_Like I haven't heard that before_, Nathan thought sarcastically. His father was such a broken record.

"Your mother called—unfortunately."

Nathan looked up at that. "What did she want?"

"She wanted to talk about Christmas."

"What about it?"

"She's traveling to her parents' for the holidays. She wanted you to go with her," Dan stated. "But I told her you already had plans with me."

"Dad, we're not doing anything for Christmas," Nathan pointed out.

"Well, it's not like she knows that, Nathan," he retorted.

"Whatever. I'll call her back."

"Why? I took care of it."

"Dad, I'm going with Mom," Nathan declared.

"Didn't you just hear me? I said—"

"I know what you said. But since I'm living here with you, I never get to see her. The last time we spent any real time together was during Thanksgiving."

"I didn't realize you were such a momma's boy. You're not going to miss anything, Nate. Besides, that idiot brother of hers is going to be there, too. The less time you spend with that failure the better."

There was no way Nathan wanted to spend Christmas with his father. He looked forward to getting out of the house and staying with his mom—even if it was for a short while.

"Dad, I'm going with Mom. That's it," Nathan announced.

Dan's eyes narrowed. "The last time I checked, I was your father. You'll do what I say, Nathan."

"I always do what you say, Dad. But Mom has a right to see me, too. And if you keep me away from her, you know she's going to make it harder on you," Nathan said. "I'm sure you don't want her dragging you into a full-blown custody battle before a judge. You never know what might come out."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Dan challenged.

"You said yourself that we shouldn't make her suspicious. You don't want to push her over the edge," Nathan backtracked.

It was a form of the truth. His mother knew something was up. She'd confronted him outright at Thanksgiving. But it's not like his father needed to know that particular detail. It was best to leave him in the dark, letting him think that he still had control.

Dan was silent for a moment, mulling it over. "Fine," he finally said. "Go. It'll give me time to finish up some things at work anyway."

_Gonna steal yourself a nice Christmas bonus, Dad?_ he thought ironically.

"Okay," Nathan replied. "I'll go call her back now."

"Nathan," Dan yelled after him.

"Yeah?"

"Have you gotten any letters from colleges in the mail recently?"

"Not that I know of," he lied.

His look was suspicious. "You sure?"

"It's still kind of early."

"Well, let me know when you do."

Nathan bit back a smirk. "Sure."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"Are you finished yet?"

"Does it look like I'm finished?"

"Um…no?"

Haley just smiled and shook her head. "You are so impatient."

"Like that's anything new," Nathan mumbled.

"I'll get done a lot quicker if you stop interrupting me."

Nathan sighed and pulled out his cell phone to check basketball stats. He couldn't help being impatient. He and Haley had gone over his English assignment for the last forty-five minutes. She'd promised that once they were finished, they could spend the rest of the time "catching up," which was ultimately code for making out.

"I'm almost done," Haley announced. She could feel Nathan's leg jittering under the table next to hers.

A moment later, one of his arms wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. Haley didn't protest. She just snuggled further into him as she finished checking over his paper. She welcomed the warmth.

It was cold at the dock by the water. That's why she usually packed a thermos of hot chocolate for them on the mornings that they conducted their tutoring session. Unfortunately, she'd just finished her cup of the steaming drink five minutes prior.

"All done," Haley proclaimed.

"Finally!" Nathan wasted no time moving in and brushing his lips along her ice-cold cheek.

"Don't you want to go over what I fixed?" she questioned. Haley tried to sound serious. But with the way Nathan was kissing her at the moment, she was more distracted than anything.

He turned her face to meet his. "I'll figure it out."

Haley sighed in contentment as his mouth claimed hers in a loving kiss. It only took one touch of his lips to make the heat start to radiate throughout her body. Her cheeks were burning by the time his tongue started to stroke hers.

Although she and Nathan had been secretly meeting for only a week now, Haley could already feel the positive change. She looked forward to their mornings together. It made the separation at school so much more bearable. Haley had felt so disconnected from Nathan before. Aside from a few stolen glances, they didn't have any contact with one another. But now, despite it being only for an hour or two, she felt closer to him more than ever. It was like they were back in their own little world where nothing else mattered. It was perfect.

Of course, Haley also made sure that they had time for tutoring. Nathan was always trying to distract her. Haley, however, refused to let their time be wasted. She was determined to help him get his grades up. If she had to withhold kissing, then so be it. But that was usually a last resort. She was only human, after all. It took a lot for a girl to be able to resist a charming and persuasive Nathan Scott.

"You are so bad," Haley giggled once they broke apart.

He smirked. "You know you like it."

"What I'd like is for you to get an A on this next paper. The draft was really good, Nathan. All you have to do is change the structure of a few sentences and—" She was silenced by his lips, once again.

"You're so sexy when you go into your Tutor Girl mode," he teased.

"You're incorrigible," she laughed.

Nathan placed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. He leaned in to give her another peck on the lips. "I'm not exactly sure what that means, but it sounds cool."

Haley laughed out loud a second time. "Next lesson: vocabulary."

"It's so nice to see you smiling and laughing," he commented. Haley constantly appeared somber and stressed at school. Nathan often found himself worrying about her and the toll that this whole arrangement of theirs was taking.

Haley closed her eyes and leaned into his gentle touch. "Well, I'm much more relaxed."

"Good."

"Thanks to you."

"What did I do?"

"I'm so glad that you came up with this idea of tutoring. It's the highlight of my day," she revealed.

"Mine, too," Nathan agreed with a smile. He actually found himself eager to go to bed just so he could wake up in the morning to see Haley.

Nathan would even wake up extra early just to avoid running into Dan. Unfortunately, he'd almost been caught the other day. Dan had gotten up before him and was already sitting in the kitchen, eating his breakfast. He'd been surprised and a little suspicious to see Nathan awake and dressed for school.

Dan, being the nosey and invasive man that we was, demanded to know where Nathan was going so early in the morning. Nathan had quickly told his father the truth about the tutoring. The not-so-truthful part came when Nathan also told his dad that his tutor was some nerdy loser who liked to get an early start in the morning.

Dan had then asked why Nathan needed a tutor in the first place. His focus should be on "basketball, not school." Nathan told him another tid bit of the truth and explained that his grades were slipping. When Dan learned that Nathan could potentially get kicked off of the team if he didn't get them up soon, he finally shut up about it.

"And Adam hasn't bothered me."

"I told you he wouldn't."

"You're kind of sexy when you're protective," she murmured before pecking his lips.

Nathan smirked. "Really? Just when I'm protective?"

"Well, maybe more often than that. But especially then," she replied, kissing him again.

"Winter break is going to suck," Nathan declared once they broke apart.

Haley gave him a knowing smile. "You'll have fun," she encouraged.

"Visiting my grandparents in Florida is hardly what I'd call a good time. I'd rather be here with you."

"Nathan, you made the right decision. Your mom deserves to spend time with you, too," Haley replied. "Besides, you deserve whatever break you can get from Dan."

Nathan knew that Haley was right. Quality time with his mom was long overdue. Plus it would be great to get away from Dan completely by going out of state. "It'll be our first Christmas together, and we'll be spending it apart," he pointed out.

Haley shrugged, downplaying the sadness of the situation. Her whole family was coming in for the holidays. She'd wanted so badly for Nathan to meet her siblings—despite how crazy they could be. Haley knew that they would love him and vice versa. "As long as it's not the last."

"Don't you want your Christmas present?"

"You got me something?"

"You sound surprised. Of course I did," he answered. "You're my girlfriend. Why wouldn't I?"

"It's not that," she said, shaking her head. "It's just that Lucas is really the only person besides my family who has gotten me Christmas presents. It's kind of foreign to me."

In addition to Nathan, Haley knew that the rest of their friends were giving her gifts, too. It was all kinds of surreal to Haley. One year ago, she never would've guessed how close she'd become to Peyton and Brooke. Add the other new people like Jake, Tim, and Kat into the mix and it was even more unbelievable. It was all in a good way, though.

"Well, you're going to love it," Nathan declared confidently.

"I got you something, too."

"What is it?"

"I'm not going to tell you," she laughed in amusement.

"Come on. You know how impatient I am," he joked.

Haley kissed his cheek. "Well, you're just going to have to wait, mister."

"Until when? We won't see each other until after Christmas and New Year's," Nathan reminded her.

"I guess we'll just have to find another time and place to exchange gifts then."

"Really? And what did you have in mind?"

"I'm not quite sure yet." Haley had an idea of what they could do. But she wasn't sure if she could really pull it off. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

Nathan stared at her, intrigued. "You do that."

~***~

"Are you sure you want to hear this?"

Nathan nodded his head at his brother, urging him to continue. The pair was sitting in Lucas' truck at the River Court. Basketball practice had finished ten minutes prior. Nathan had to be at the dealership soon to start his shift, but he didn't care if he was late. If his father asked, he'd just lie and say that practice had run late. It's not like his father would be generous enough to fire him for the offense.

"What did you find, Luke?" Nathan insisted.

"Okay." He pulled a folder out of his backpack. "I did a lot of research online, but it didn't really take that long for me to find out about this."

"What is it?" Nathan could feel his impatience start to kick in.

"It turns out that all cash transactions over $10,000 must be reported to the government. It's part of this law that was created in 1970 called the Bank Secrecy Act. The law requires that financial institutions keep records of cash transactions," Lucas explained.

"Why?"

"It's supposed to prevent money laundering, tax evasion, or any other activities that might be criminal."

"So Dan is doing one of those?"

"Or all of them," Lucas suggested. "Dan doesn't want to be taxed on those sales he's making. So he skims the profits off the top, taking maybe $1,000 here or $3,000 there, and pockets the cash."

"Shit," Nathan muttered.

"Then he creates these fake bill of sales and—"

"And uses me to unknowingly get rid of the original ones before anyone finds out."

"Exactly."

Nathan couldn't help but laugh. "What a piece of work." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh yeah, he's a real upstanding citizen."

"If he gets caught, what will happen?"

"It depends on how long he's been doing this and how much he's taken. He can get anything from a $50 fee to jail time."

"Damn it," Nathan cursed. "I'm sure he's been doing it for a while, but I only have the most recent transactions."

"There's more."

That didn't sound good. Nathan braced himself. "What?"

"I'm not sure that those forms will be enough to convict him."

"What?!"

"Look, Dan's not the only person in the company who handles those papers. He could claim that someone else cooked the books without him knowing," Lucas stated. "And who knows what kind of loopholes his lawyers might find if there is a case brought against him."

"So, basically, you're saying that he could get away with this," Nathan concluded, frustrated.

"Yes, probably."

Nathan ran an agitated hand through his hair before slamming his fist on the dashboard. "Son of a bitch!" He'd been so close to freedom. He could practically taste it. Now his chance to finally escape from his father's control was completely shot to hell.

"I know it seems like a dead end, but it doesn't have to be."

"It is. How else am I going to bring him down, Luke? Huh?" Nathan retorted. He could feel the disappointment start to consume him. "I'm screwed."

"Look, don't give up. You just learned about this. There could be more."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. He could've left a trail—"

"I know my dad. He can clean his tracks pretty damn well."

"Maybe he has—as far as he knows," Lucas added.

Nathan's head snapped up at that. "Meaning?"

"All I'm saying is that it would be a smart move to keep an eye on him. Play dumb about what's going on while, at the same time, track his every move. You never know. He could slip up."

Nathan thought about it for a moment and sighed. "Okay," he agreed. It couldn't hurt. If Dan did somehow screw up, Nathan could still have a chance at gaining the upper hand.

"I'm sorry it's so complicated, man."

Nathan shook his head. "It's not your fault. Thanks for finding that stuff out for me, though."

"No problem. If you learn about anything else, let me know."

"I will."

"And don't shred any new documents—just in case," Lucas added.

"I won't."

"You can give me those to keep, too."

"Sure."

"I guess it's a good thing we didn't tell Haley," Lucas said after a couple minutes of silence.

"Yeah," Nathan mumbled. "Good thing."

~***~

Haley glanced over the room one last time to make sure that everything was in order. She wanted everything to be just right when Nathan arrived.

"Relax, it's perfect."

Haley smiled at how well Karen knew her. "Stop reading my mind," she playfully scolded.

"The Haley James I know worries too much."

"I can't help it. I really want this to be special."

"It will be. I'm sure Nathan will be blown away."

"Thank you so much, Karen, for helping me. I really appreciate it," Haley told her.

Karen smiled and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You're welcome, honey. You and Nathan deserve this."

Haley had told Karen all about how Dan had forbid Nathan to see her. If anyone could understand the cruelty of Dan Scott, it was Karen. Haley had needed someone older to talk to. As much as she wanted to tell her parents, she just couldn't. Haley knew that her mom and dad would be pissed. She could picture her mom marching over to the beach house or dealership and giving Nathan's father a piece of her mind.

That's exactly what Haley didn't want to happen. Dan would be furious if he knew that she and Nathan were still dating. The last thing Haley wanted was to provoke Dan into doing something even more horrible to Nathan. If their relationship was ever revealed, it would be her boyfriend who would have to suffer. She wanted to avoid that at all costs.

Her parents at least got to see Nathan when he picked her up to go to the docks for their morning tutoring session. It gave the appearance that things were still normal between them. There were also the occasional late night visits that Nathan paid her. No matter how quietly he snuck into her window, her parents still seemed to know and tease her about it.

"Well, I'm going to head out before Nathan gets here," Karen announced. "You kids have fun."

"Thanks."

"But not too much fun," she added with a look that was both playful and motherly.

Haley blushed. "Karen! You know I'm not, well, like that."

Karen grinned. "I know. Just kidding—sort of."

"Okay, now you have to leave."

"I'm going. I'm going," she laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Bye." She waved as the older woman walked out the door.

Despite knowing that everything was in order, Haley glanced over the setup once more. She then checked the clock. Nathan should be arriving any moment now. Haley was so excited to see his reaction. Ever since their tutoring session a couple of days ago, she'd noticed a slight change in Nathan. He'd been very distracted.

At first she'd attributed it to the usual things like their hidden relationship and the constant pressure Dan placed on him. But after watching him much more intently, Haley was starting to wonder if it was something else. She considered asking him about it, but the timing never seemed right. So she decided to let it go for now. If he didn't come around some time soon, then she'd confront him.

Haley was suddenly jarred from her thoughts when she heard a knock on the door. She quickly straightened out her outfit and hair before walking over to answer it.

"Whoa."

Haley giggled softly at the first word to come out of her boyfriend's mouth. Nathan's eyes were trained on her, looking her up and down. It appeared that she'd picked the right outfit, after all. While shopping with Brooke, Peyton, and Kat last weekend, Haley had seen this dress in one of the stores.

The dress had thin halter straps, a sweetheart neckline, and ended just above her knees. It was made of red satin material and came with a fashionable red and white-jeweled belt. For shoes she borrowed a pair of Brooke's red stiletto heels. They were high and uncomfortable but looked perfect with the dress. Haley also wore a pair of diamond earrings and a silver bracelet. Her hair completed the look; it was pulled back on the left side with a white-jeweled barrette.

"Well, would you like to come in or did you want to stand out in the cold all night?" she joked as he continued to stare.

"What? Oh," he replied, snapping out of his stupor.

"We match," Haley announced when she shut the door behind him. Nathan was wearing a white dress shirt with a red and white striped tie and black dress pants.

Nathan looked down at his clothes. "I guess we do."

"I love your tie."

"I thought you would," he said with a smirk. "It's the one my mom always makes me wear for Christmas. I figured since we won't be spending the holiday together, you should at least get the full effect now."

"I'm glad you wore it. It reminds me of candy canes," she proclaimed sweetly.

Nathan shook his head and laughed. "You're such a girl, Hales."

Haley couldn't suppress the girly giggle that followed. Nathan's smile widened at the sound as he leaned in to kiss her.

"You look really beautiful, Haley," he said, breaking the kiss a moment later. But he made sure to keep his arms wrapped around her.

"Thank you. Unlike your tie, my dress is new."

"Well, I approve. It's very sexy," he murmured huskily into her ear, causing Haley to shiver.

"Good."

Nathan gave her one more soft kiss on the lips before turning his attention to the café. He looked on in awe at the setup. There were Christmas and icicle lights on the walls, bordering the room. All of the other tables and chairs were pushed off to the side. In the center of the room was one medium-sized table. On it was a red and green tablecloth with two place settings and candles.

Not too far away, on the counter, was another tablecloth. On top of that were a couple of covered dishes and small bins, which, based on the smell, had to be their food. The sound of Christmas carols could also be heard playing softly in the background.

"So, what do you think?" Haley anxiously asked.

"I think this is amazing, Hales."

"Really?"

Nathan brought his hand to her cheek and caressed it. "Of course. I can't believe you did all of this for me." He'd expected them to have dinner, but never imagined that Haley would put something as elaborate as this together.

"Well, this will be our first Christmas together—kind of," she joked. "Anyway, I just wanted us to do something special before you leave."

Nathan glanced around the room again. "Mission accomplished."

Haley gave him a beaming smile before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. She was about to pull away when Nathan deepened the kiss.

"The blinds on the windows are a nice touch, too," Nathan muttered into her mouth.

"I put the shades down so no one could see us."

His lips trailed down her neck. "Very smart."

Haley clung to Nathan with her eyes closed, basking in the feeling of having him so close. She could feel the goose bumps forming on her skin as he left hot, open-mouth kisses on her flesh. Haley turned her face, ready to reclaim his lips, when she felt and heard her stomach rumble loudly. There was no way Nathan couldn't have heard it.

Confirming her fear, Nathan pulled back. "Hungry, Hales?"

She felt her cheeks flush from embarrassment. "Yes," she said while bringing up a hand to hide her face.

"It's okay," he chuckled, amused. "Don't be embarrassed."

"So much for that romantic moment."

"It's fine," Nathan reassured. "Besides, I guess we better save some for the mistletoe later, huh?"

Haley didn't say anything. She just nodded while trying to reclaim control of her emotions. Although it didn't help that Nathan's words just made her face turn redder.

"I'd tell you how adorable you are when you blush, but I don't want your face to match your dress," Nathan teased while stroking her cherry cheek. "So, since I'm starving, too, let's eat."

Haley smiled and bobbed her head in agreement, choosing to ignore the first part of his statement. _Relax, Haley_, she coached herself. _Breathe_.

"What are we having?" Nathan inquired.

Haley turned her attention to the food, which seemed to help. "A few different things."

"Whatever it is, it smells good."

"Karen and I made everything," Haley informed him. She took Nathan's hand and led him over to the counter. "To start off we have these little pinwheel appetizers."

"Pinwheels?" He smirked.

"Yes, because they're round. See," she picked one up and showed him.

"What's it made of?"

"It's flaky bread with either pepperoni or ham with cheese inside. There are some spices on it, too." She held it up to his mouth. "This one is pepperoni. Try it."

Nathan tried the bite she offered to him. He almost groaned at how delicious it tasted. "Damn, Hales, that is good."

"I know, right? Those are actually Lucas' favorite."

"Yes, well, he's going to have some competition for these."

Haley grinned. "I'll let him know." She moved onto the next dish. "I know you don't usually eat it, but I made salad."

"Hales," Nathan started to moan.

"Nathan, you need to eat something healthy and green."

"But—"

"You're having some," she declared in resolution.

Nathan rolled his eyes. It seemed that Haley really wanted him to eat it. "Fine." Since she went through the trouble of putting this all together for them, he might as well be good and suck it up.

"Thank you."

"What's the main course?"

"Two things," she answered. Haley pulled the top off of one of the small bins. "Prime rib."

"No way!" Nathan beamed.

"I know it's your favorite."

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" He'd been dying for some prime rib lately. There was no way he was going to get it at his grandparents' house. They usually made roast beef or turkey.

"I knew you'd warm up to me with that one," Haley kidded and patted his cheek.

"If the second dish is lobster, I'll die a happy man."

"Sorry to disappoint you but it's not lobster, Mr. Expensive Taste," she teased. "We need a pasta dish to go along with the meat."

"Too bad. It still sounds good, though. What is it?"

Haley smiled widely and lifted the lid off of another small bin. "My favorite: macaroni and cheese, a.k.a the food of the gods."

"Or five year olds," Nathan joked.

"You will eat it, and you will love it," she ordered good-naturedly.

"It does smell good," he admitted.

"Damn straight it does. It's my own special, top secret recipe."

"Then I can't wait to try it."

"Oh, and we also have Italian bread."

"This is amazing, Hales. I'm probably going to weigh five-hundred pounds once we're done," he laughed, "but it'll be worth it."

"There is no such thing as fattening food during the holidays. Besides, knowing you, you'll probably burn it off in one workout."

Nathan smirked. "True." Haley just shook her head at him.

The pair wasted no time digging in. They filled their plates to the brim with the delicious food. Light and fun conversation followed as they ate their dinner. Haley almost choked on her mac and cheese a few times. Nathan was making her laugh so hard.

Once they'd finished their dinner, they had dessert. Nathan smiled when Haley informed him that she'd made brownies decorated for Christmas. His girlfriend really couldn't resist her chocolate. She also made chocolate chip cookies for him. There were gingerbread cookies, as well, that Karen had decorated.

Despite that they were already full from all the food they'd eaten for dinner, they managed to have dessert. The after-dinner sweets were amazing, but Nathan couldn't deny that he felt like he was busting at the seams. He couldn't eat another thing.

"That was so good," Haley muttered. "And I'm so full."

"Me, too." Nathan glanced over at the counter. "Plus, there are leftovers."

"Don't worry, Lucas and I will finish them while you're away."

Nathan groaned. "I hate my life." Even though he couldn't eat anymore now, didn't mean he wouldn't want some more at another time.

"I'd save you some, but it'll probably be spoiled by the time you get back," Haley said. "Unless you want me to freeze some of it for you."

"Maybe just a little, if that's okay."

Haley grabbed his hand and lightly stroked his knuckles. "Sure." She nodded off to the side. "Did you want to sit on the couch for a while?"

"Yeah. I need to digest."

Haley laughed and dragged Nathan up with her. He sat down first before pulling her next to him. Nathan wrapped his arm around her as they got settled. He kissed her head when she leaned against him.

"Thank you so much for this, Hales. Everything was really great. I can't say that enough." Nathan had celebrated Christmas all his life, but he'd never done something as memorable and incredible as this. The holidays were always a war zone for his family growing up. It was the first time in a long time that he actually felt at peace.

She sighed contently. "You're welcome."

Nathan guided her face up to meet his. His lips brushed gently over hers. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Haley replied, reclaiming his mouth once more. The intensity and emotion behind his kiss made a shiver run up her spine. "Would you like your Christmas present now?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Don't get up," Nathan protested when she started to pull away from him. He was so comfortable sitting there, holding her.

"I have to go get it," she giggled.

"How far are you going?"

"Just behind the counter," Haley replied, amused. Her boyfriend looked like a pouting child at the moment. It was so cute.

It didn't take her long to grab the present and return to him. "See. That wasn't so bad." She handed the small, square box to Nathan. "Here."

Nathan quickly ripped off the wrapping paper, eager to find out what Haley had bought him. When he finally saw what was inside, his smile faltered. "Socks?"

"You said that you needed some new ones for basketball practice," Haley said with a shrug. "So I got them for you." She bit down hard on her lip to keep from bursting out laughing. The shocked and disappointed look on Nathan's face right now was priceless.

"Um…thanks?"

"You don't like it?" Haley feigned sadness.

Nathan quickly tried to backtrack. Haley looked like she might cry. He hated it when she cried. "No. No. They're, uh, great. I needed these."

"It's hard shopping for guys—especially a boyfriend. I was just playing it safe," she explained, tearing up.

_Uh-oh_, Nathan thought. _What have I done?!_ "No, baby, it's fine. They're great."

"You already said that."

"I, uh, um…"

Haley placed her hands over her face. _Great, she's crying! You really did it this time, idiot_. This was not how he wanted the rest of their night to unfold.

"Hales, baby, I'm sorry. Really, it's a wonderful, thoughtful gift. I—" He paused when Haley removed her hands from her face. There were tears running down her cheeks, but not from crying. He watched her for a few seconds. Was she laughing?

"Are you laughing?" he voiced his thoughts.

"I'm sorry," Haley giggled, clutching her stomach. She couldn't contain herself a moment longer.

"Did I miss something?" Nathan asked, genuinely baffled.

"You should've seen your face," she cracked up.

"Hales, is this one of those PMS mood swings or something?"

"No," she said, wiping at her eyes. She gave him a small smack on the arm for his comment.

His expression was bewildered. "Then what's going on?"

"The socks aren't your present. Well, they are. But they're not the big thing I was going to give you," she clarified. "It was just a joke."

"What?"

"Did you really think I'd give you socks for a Christmas present?" she snorted.

"Ha ha," Nathan deadpanned after a moment. The realization that he'd been duped set in. "You know, I really thought I'd offended you."

Haley could see that she had wounded his ego. She suppressed another laugh. "Aw, I'm sorry, baby." She took his face in her hands and kissed his cheeks. Then she met his lips. "I wasn't trying to be mean."

"Are you trying to kill me?" he muttered as she continued to peck his lips.

"I'm sorry," Haley repeated. She gave him one last kiss before reaching into the side pocket of her dress and pulling out an envelope. "Maybe your real gift will make up for it."

"I'm a little scared," Nathan announced.

Haley nudged him. "Just open it."

Nathan gave her one more skeptical look before finally opening the envelope. He reached inside and almost fell over at what he pulled out. "Oh. My. God."

There was a huge smile on Haley's face at Nathans awestruck look.

"Are these real?"

"Yup."

"Hales, do you know what these are?"

"Yes, I did buy them," she joked.

"They're Bobcats tickets. Near the floor. Right in perfect view of the players."

"I know."

"How did you…?" he trailed off, still memorized.

"I got them on e-Bay."

"Hales, these must have been really expensive."

"Don't you worry about that. These tickets are my gift to you, okay?" Haley replied. "Go to the game and enjoy it." The Bobcats were one of Nathan's favorite teams. When she saw the tickets being auctioned off on e-Bay, she just knew that she had to get them for him.

"I…thank you," Nathan finally managed to get out. He wasted no time in scooping Haley up into a passionate kiss. They were both completely breathless by the time it ended.

"I'm glad you like them."

"I love them," Nathan corrected. "The last Bobcats game I went to was when I was five. I've been wanting to go to another one ever since."

Haley hadn't known that little fact but was extremely pleased to hear it. "Now you can."

"Would you like your present now?" Nathan asked. He was so excited about his gift and just knew that Haley would feel the same way about hers.

"Definitely."

"I'll go get it."

"Where is it?"

"In the trunk of my car."

"Why didn't you bring it in before?"

Nathan smiled in the doorway. "It's big."

Haley's eyes widened. "Oh."

"I'll be right back."

During Nathan's short absence, Haley found her mind racing. What could Nathan have possibly gotten her? Maybe it was a puppy. She'd always wanted another one after her other dog passed away.

_But why would he leave a puppy in a trunk?_ she realized. It couldn't be that. She tried to think of another reason but came up short.

Nathan walked back into the café at that moment, carrying an enormously wrapped box with a huge bow on top. "Merry Christmas, Hales," he proclaimed.

Haley stood up and walked over to him and the present. "Should I be scared?"

"Just open it," Nathan urged while rubbing her back.

"Okay." She took the bow off first before tackling the wrapping paper. There was no wording on the large brown box to give the surprise away.

"Here." Nathan handed her his car keys so that she could cut the tape on top.

Haley handed them back to him when she was finished. She undid the folds quickly. She could feel the excitement and anticipation building. A moment later, she reached inside and pulled out her present. It was a little heavy, so Nathan helped her.

When Haley finally got a good look at what it was, she squealed. "Oh my God! It's a guitar case!"

"Look inside," Nathan prompted.

Haley placed the case down on the ground and opened it. Inside was the most beautiful acoustic guitar she'd ever seen. Haley was in a daze as she gaped at it adoringly.

"The guy at the music store said it was the best," Nathan told her. When she still didn't say anything, he asked, "Do you like it?"

Haley glanced up at him with tears in her eyes. "I love it." She ran her fingers over the guitar, feeling the sleek wood and strings.

"I remembered that night at camp when you played for me. You sounded so amazing, Hales," Nathan complimented. "I know that you learned on your dad's guitar growing up. I just thought that it was time for you to have one of your own. Now you can play any time or place that you want."

Haley immediately stood up, threw her arms around him, and brought him into a tight hug. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, baby." He kissed her temple. "I was actually kind of hoping that maybe you'd play something for me now."

"Really?" He nodded. "I have to tune it first."

"I'll wait."

"What did you want me to sing?"

"I don't know. Something festive if you want."

Haley claimed Nathan lips in hers. This was officially one of her best Christmases ever. "I'd love to."


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey everyone, I wanted to thank all of you who've taken the time to leave reviews. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to update my stories more frequently. This is my last semester before I graduate, and life is just crazy. Add the fact that I'm writing multiple stories and applying to graduate school, and I'm sure you can see why I'm on overload. But thank you all for bearing with me and continuing to support my fics. It's truly appreciated.**

**

* * *

Chapter 25**

"Pick up the pace. Let's move it!" Whitey shouted to the guys on the court.

Nathan did as his coach said and pushed himself harder. He wasn't sure how long they'd been running suicides. Normally, at this point, Nathan would be exhausted and ready to puke. But for once, it actually felt like a relief.

Nathan needed to blow off some steam. He was completely stressed out and on edge. Winter break over a month ago had been the last time he'd gotten a chance to kick back and relax. As soon as he came home, it all went downhill.

With so many scouts coming to see him play, Dan was pushing Nathan as hard as ever. He had more training and even less time to go out than before. The added pressure of his school work didn't help. Nathan didn't know how so many projects and papers in different classes could be due on the same day. It seemed as if his teachers had planned it that way.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Nathan almost flipped when Dan told him that he should quit the tutoring. "Your grades should be good enough by now," his father had said. Nathan had immediately protested, telling his dad how hard school was becoming.

His father, like usual, didn't listen. Instead of getting tutored in the morning, Dan wanted Nathan to go for a run. Apparently, his "conditioning was for crap" still. Most days in the beginning, Dan would run with him. But after a few weeks, Dan didn't have the time. He had to get to work early in the morning. It was on those days that Nathan would continue to meet Haley. Nathan didn't give a damn about his father's orders. He had to see Haley, or he'd go insane.

Sometimes the rest of the group would meet up with them, too. It's not like they all got to hang around together that much. They could catch up and have a little fun before school began and the façade was back up. As much as he loved seeing Haley and his friends, it was on those days that Nathan felt the sting deep down within. All he wanted was a normal life. And the only way to do that was to get away from his jackass of a father.

Nathan tried to be patient. When he discovered that Dan was laundering money from the dealership to avoid paying the government, he'd felt a sense of power and control return to him. This was exactly the chance he needed. His father's actions were illegal, and there would be serious consequences. It would be a way to get Dan out of his life forever. Freedom was so close, Nathan could almost taste it.

That was until Lucas did more research and told him that they didn't have enough evidence to tie Dan to his actions. Aside from the fake bill of sales, which most people in the office came into contact with, there was nothing else. Ever since then, Nathan had kept his eyes open at the dealership. He tried to keep track of his father's every move, waiting for the one time he slipped up. But it never came. That hope Nathan had previously felt was getting smaller and smaller as the days passed. Soon, nothing but despair would consume him.

~***~

"One and two, three and four, five and six, seven and eight," Brooke counted off as the cheerleading squad rehearsed their moves. "Wait, Haley, you got the arms wrong again."

Haley sighed. "Sorry."

"Let's take it from the top," the brunette instructed.

Haley listened as Brooke counted off, once again. She tried to concentrate. She really did. But she just couldn't. Haley's eyes involuntarily kept glancing over at the guys, in particular Nathan, running suicides. It wasn't because he was shirtless and sweaty and looked amazingly sexy at the moment. It was because Haley could see that he was pushing himself. That's all Nathan had been doing lately.

"Haley," Brooke interrupted her thoughts. "The arms are all off. You need to—"

"Whatever, Brooke, it's not like it's brain surgery," Haley snapped. "If you didn't go so damn fast, then maybe I could get it." She could feel all eyes on the squad turn to her as Brooke stared at her slightly taken aback. Instantly, she regretted her outburst.

"Let's take a ten-minute break," Brooke proclaimed.

Haley took a seat on the bleachers and ran a hand through her hair.

"Haley, are you okay?" Peyton questioned as she and Brooke sat down next to her.

"Yeah." She faced Brooke. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I'm just a little distracted today."

"It's okay," Brooke replied. "I could tell that something was bothering you all practice."

"Is it Nathan?" Peyton questioned.

Haley nodded. "Yes."

"I saw you looking at him," Brooke commented.

"Did something happen?"

"No. I've just been worried about him lately. Dan's making his life a living hell."

"And yours," Brooke added.

"I know. But I kind of get the feeling like there's something else weighing him down, too. I don't know what it is."

"Did you ask him?" Peyton prodded.

"I've tried, but he won't tell me anything. I hate when he shuts me out like that."

"Lucas does that sometimes, too. It must be a Scott defect," Brooke joked, nudging her.

Haley gave her a small smile. "It wouldn't surprise me."

Peyton patted her leg. "What about you? Aside from Nathan, are you okay?"

"I don't know. I—"

Just then, the gym door opened. They looked up to see who'd just entered. Haley instantly groaned. "Oh, crap."

"What the hell is she doing here?" Brooke muttered in annoyance.

Haley inwardly cringed as Shelley spotted her and made her way over. "Haley, I'm so glad I found you."

Brooke snorted. "She's here almost everyday at this time. It shouldn't have been that hard."

"Brooke," Shelley greeted with a sweet yet fake smile.

"What did you want, Shelley?" Haley asked, trying to get her attention before the two got into one of their normal insult matches.

"I wanted to let you know that an emergency meeting has been called for tonight. Everyone must be there."

"What's the emergency?"

Shelley eyed Brooke and Peyton. "That's Clean Teen business only."

Brooke smirked. "Let me guess, one of your members accidentally fell off the virgin train and just happened to land on a penis."

Haley put her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing. She noticed Peyton doing the same but trying less to hide it.

Shelley rolled her eyes. "_No_. Must you always be so crude?"

"Yes." Brooke smiled defiantly.

"What time is the meeting?" Haley cut in.

"Seven o'clock."

"Okay…um, was there something else?" Haley asked when Shelley didn't leave.

"Actually, there is. I brought you something."

"This should be good," Brooke murmured sarcastically.

"What is it?"

"A new shirt design," Shelley announced as she pulled it out of her bag. It was just like the regular Clean Teen shirts. The only difference was that it was sleeveless and the straps were thinner.

"It's, um, nice," Haley politely commented.

"I figured that we needed something for when the weather gets hotter.""Very clever, Einstein. Too bad it's still ugly." Haley discretely elbowed Brooke. She really didn't want to deal with more bickering.

"I got the inspiration from you."

Haley stared at her, perplexed. "Oh?"

"Yes. I was thinking about how you have cheerleading practice all of the time. And since you're dancing, you're sweating. So then you can't wear your other Clean Teen shirt, because it would be too hot," Shelley explained. "Then it occurred to me. Sleeveless tops and tanks!"

Peyton shook her head and muttered, "Oh, brother,"

"That's great, Shelley," Haley placated her. Inside, she was groaning.

Shelley handed her the shirt. "You get the first official one."

"Oh, um, thanks."

"I'll wait while you go put it on."

"We don't have time to play dress-up. I've got a practice to get back to," Brooke spoke up.

"It'll only take a minute. Go ahead, Haley. Just try it on real quick. I want to see how it looks."

"Maybe later. We have to—"

"Haley, I'm not leaving until you put that on." Shelley folded her arms.

Haley bit her lip to keep from snapping at her. "Fine. Be right back," she said through clenched teeth. Would she ever be able to wear normal clothes in public? What was next, matching pajamas?

She took her time changing, postponing the inevitable. When she couldn't put it off any longer, Haley left the girl's locker room and returned to the gym.

"Oh my God, I knew it would look great!" Shelley beamed.

Haley could feel her face turning red as everyone gawked at her. A couple of other girls on the squad were laughing.

"What are you all looking at?" Shelley shouted.

Haley followed her line of sight and noticed that the guys weren't running suicides anymore. Whitey must've given them a break, which conveniently coincided with the debut of the humiliating shirt. They were all looking at her, too. And of course Nathan had the biggest smirk on his face. He winked at her, and she glared in return.

Shelley folded her arms and eyed him. "I saw that, Scott!"

"Nathan," Lucas scolded, trying not to laugh.

"What? I didn't do anything." It wasn't his fault Shelley was so uptight.

"So does Haley have to wear that to practice now?" Jake questioned.

"Probably," Lucas answered.

Jake shook his head. "That sucks."

"Damn, that girl is nuts," Ted mumbled next to them, watching Shelley.

"Jeez, Nathan, you must have really done a number on Haley to make her want to join those crazies," Jabar commented.

The smile instantly disappeared from Nathan's face. "I didn't do anything."

"Yeah, sure."

"I didn't."

"Well, she's one of them now."

"Just shut the fu—"

"Nathan," Lucas warned.

"All right, what are you all staring at?" Whitey shouted as he walked back into the gym from the locker room. "Back to practice!"

"Ugh, thank God she's gone," Brooke declared once Shelley finally left. Of course, she had to give the guys a piece of her mind before she did.

"You can go and change back if you want. She'll never know," Peyton suggested to Haley.

As much as Haley wanted to, she knew that she couldn't. "I better not. I'm supposed to be a Clean Teen. I like this stuff, remember?"

Brooke patted her back sympathetically. "I can't wait until you can get out of that damn cult."

Haley sighed. "Me, too."

~***~

"Great meeting, everyone. I'm glad we got that straightened out."

Haley placed a hand over her mouth to cover her yawn. She was exhausted from cheerleading practice. She hadn't even bothered to go home afterward. It wouldn't have been long until she had to return for the Clean Teen meeting. So she'd gone to the Tutoring Center to finish up some homework.

The Clean Teen meeting had taken place in the empty Current Events classroom on the second floor, like it always did. Haley really wanted to skip it. But since Shelley had caught up with her at cheer practice and said that it was an emergency, there was no way that Haley could have gotten out of it. She wished that she could have. The "big emergency," as Shelley declared it, was about nothing more than keeping up the integrity of the club.

Apparently there had been some rumors that a couple of Clean Teens weren't exactly living up to their vow of purity. Haley had panicked a little, thinking that maybe someone had seen her with Nathan at the docks. She didn't know how that could've happened. It was pretty deserted there in the mornings—especially since it was still winter. But luckily, no names were mentioned. And neither Shelley nor anyone else looked in her direction accusingly during the meeting.

"We'll meet back up on Thursday," Shelley announced.

Haley made her way towards the door.

"Oh, Haley, before you go, could I speak with you for a moment," Shelley requested.

_Maybe I spoke too soon_, Haley thought with dread. She reluctantly turned around.

"What is it?"

"I'm concerned."

Haley kept her face neutral. "About what?"

"Nathan."

_Here we go again_.

"Shelley, Nathan and I have been broken up for a while."

"I know. But based on what I saw today in the gym, he doesn't seem to be over you."

"Look, Shelley, how many times are we going to go over this? I can't control how he feels," Haley replied. "I'm not with him anymore, and that's the end of it."

"You haven't been with anyone since him."

"I don't understand how that's any of your business."

"I'm your friend, Haley. I think that maybe it would do you some good to get back out there," Shelley suggested. "I know that Adam jerk was after you for a while, and I don't blame you for turning him down."

"Shelley, I—"

"You should try dating someone else—preferably the exact opposite of the jocks in this school."

"I thought that we could only date other Clean Teens?"

"That's what we strive for."

"Well, no offense, but there really isn't anyone I'm that interested in."

"What about the new guy? You know, Chase Adams?" she said. "I know that he's only been here for a couple weeks, but he seems like a nice enough guy. And I see you two talking before our meetings—"

"We're acquaintances. Nothing more," Haley interrupted. She had nothing against Chase. He was a nice guy and not too bad looking. She'd talked to him a few times, helping him to get adjusted to the school and his classes. However, it was never anything beyond that. There was also the little fact that she was still dating Nathan. But it's not like Haley could tell Shelley that.

"Shelley, I—"

"Just think about it."

~***~

Nathan dragged his tired body into his bedroom. It had been a long day with school, practice, and then working at the dealership. He yawned loudly.

Nathan wanted nothing more than to just collapse onto bed. He dropped his gym bag to the floor. It was a little past nine o'clock. Nathan was supposed to do some of his homework tonight. But based on the way he felt, he decided to skip it. Haley would surely help him with it tomorrow. He was probably better off waiting for her anyway. It would save him the step of doing it, having her check it, and then having to fix everything all over again.

Yet, there was one thing he couldn't put off. They had a quiz tomorrow in English. He was supposed to read a couple of chapters of _Frankenstein_. Nathan had thought the book would've been good. He'd like the horror movies with the big, ugly creature when he was little. Unfortunately, it turned out that the book was boring as hell. He loathed reading it. Most times he fell asleep.

Tonight, falling asleep wasn't an option. Haley would be pissed if he didn't read the assigned chapters. With her tutoring him, she was much more adamant about him completing his school work. As sexy as she often looked when she was mad, he didn't want to push her on this.

Besides, if he read the book, then that was less time they had to spend on his school work and more time they had to make out. That thought immediately brought a smile to Nathan's face. His mind was set. He was reading the stupid book before he went to bed.

Nathan walked over towards his desk to grab his backpack when he realized that it wasn't there. He hadn't returned home from basketball practice. Instead, he'd gone straight to the dealership for his shift.

_Crap, it's probably in the car_, he thought. Nathan made his way to the garage and towards his Mustang. He checked everywhere: the front seat, backseat, and trunk. Nothing.

"What the hell? Where is it?" he mumbled to himself.

_Damn it_, he cursed. It was at the dealership, he remembered. He'd originally taken his backpack with him so that he could do some homework. Certain weeknights could be slow around the office.

Nathan sighed, annoyed, and ran a hand through his now unruly hair. He had to go get it. Nathan needed his stuff for tutoring. He didn't want to chance picking it up in the morning and have Dan or someone else see him. His dad was under the impression that he was running in the morning. The last thing Nathan needed was for his true activities to be revealed to his father all because he walked into the dealership at a certain time to get his backpack.

Nathan's keys and wallet with his license were still in the pocket of his jeans. He got into the car and started the engine. It didn't take too long to reach the dealership.

When he arrived, he could see a few lights on in the building. Dan must've been working late again. Not wanting his presence to be known, Nathan decided to use the back door. The whole place was empty as he walked down the corridors. It only took a couple of minutes to reach the main area where his desk was stationed.

Nathan glanced towards his father's office. He hoped that Dan was so engrossed in his work that he wouldn't look up and see him grab his backpack. Nathan didn't feel like explaining his late-night visit.

The windows of his dad's office had the shades drawn down. Nathan was glad for that. It would give Dan less of a chance to see him. But he still had to be careful, since they were cracked open. Nathan took a few steps forward to get a better look. Dan was sitting at his desk, filling out paperwork.

_I guess it's now or never_, he mused. Nathan took one more step forward then quickly paused.

His father had reached into his desk drawer for something and stood up. Nathan walked back into the shadows but made sure to stay in a spot where he could still watch. He stared at the object in Dan's hand. It took a few seconds before he realized that his father was holding a couple of thick stacks of cash.

Nathan stood rooted in his spot as his heart began to pound. Was that what he thought it was? The question was soon answered when he watched as Dan wheeled his chair over to the side of his desk. He tucked the money into his pants pocket and stood on the chair. Nathan observed in rapt silence as his father touched the ceiling. A second later, one of the rafters was opened and pushed aside. Dan took the money out of his pocket and seemed to place it inside of something. Nathan couldn't tell from the distance what it was exactly.

Once he was finished, Dan fixed the ceiling and got down. He put his chair back and tidied up his desk. Afterward, he grabbed his briefcase and walked towards the windows. Nathan hastily returned to the corridor behind him. He couldn't see his father anymore, but he could hear him.

Nathan listened intently. He heard his father shut the door of his office. The sound of his footsteps echoed off of the linoleum floor. The main lights were flicked off followed by the sound of Dan punching in the security code for the alarm system. Afterward, the front door was shut and locked.

Nathan waited a few minutes until he was absolutely sure that the coast was clear. He walked towards the security pad and punched in the code to turn off the alarm system. It needed to be disarmed when he was going to leave. Otherwise it would go off as soon as he opened the back door. Nathan made a mental note to remember to reset it before he left.

His backpack forgotten, Nathan made his way to Dan's office. He had to know what was up in the ceiling. He'd been spying on his father and waiting for weeks for this moment. It seemed as if Nathan had finally observed something worth investigating. With both adrenaline and curiosity pulsing through his veins, Nathan opened the door. He turned on the lights and shut the blinds the rest of the way. He didn't want someone to pass by outside and see him.

Nathan mimicked his father's actions and grabbed the office chair. He placed it in the exact spot that Dan had. He stood on top of it and felt around the ceiling. Nathan pushed up on one of the rafters, but it didn't budge. He tried the one next to it. His heart pounded harder when it moved.

Nathan casted it to the side and stood on the tips of his toes to get a better look at was above him. A huge smile instantly formed on his face. _Jackpot._


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

"Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad," Haley called as she left her house. She was in a hurry and vaguely heard them tell her goodbye and that they loved her.

"Hey, baby," Nathan greeted once she got into the car. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before heading towards the docks.

"That reminds me." She took the book in her hands and whacked Nathan's shoulder.

"Ow! What the hell, Haley? I'm driving!" he exclaimed.

"That's for yesterday."

"What?"

"You totally provoked Shelley and got me in trouble."

"All I did was wink at you. It wasn't a big deal."

"Well, according to my fearless leader, it was," Haley retorted agitatedly.

"Shelley's just a big pain in the ass. You know that."

Haley's eyes narrowed as she folded her arms. "So you don't see what you did wrong?"

"I just don't get what the big deal is. Everyone was staring."

"It's not everyone she's suspicious of, Nathan. Just you."

"Well, I don't like her either."

"It's not about that!"

Nathan pulled into the parking lot near the docks. He turned the car off and faced her. "Hales, why are we wasting our time arguing about this?"

"Because now Shelley thinks that I should date some other guy to prove that I'm over you. That's why!"

Nathan's expression instantly darkened. "What?"

"Shelley has noticed that I haven't dated anyone else since you. And seeing as though you made it very clear that you're still into me—"

"Haley, everyone knows that I'm still into you."

"I know that, but you can't be so obvious about it. Right now Shelley is the only person who's been questioning my feelings for you. If you draw more attention to me, then other people might catch on, too. I mean, I joined Clean Teens so I'd be written off and left alone."

"So what are you saying?"

"All I want is for you to be more discreet. Hell, ignore me if you have to. You know that we can't let anything suspicious get back to Dan."

"Look, I'm sorry," Nathan apologized a moment later. "I wasn't thinking." He smirked. "Well, at least not about anything except how hot you looked in that shirt."

Haley rolled her eyes and involuntarily blushed. "Nathan."

"What? You know those Clean Teen shirts drive me wild," he teased and leaned in to her.

"Shut up," she mumbled against his lips.

He smiled once they pulled away. "I promise to completely ignore you from now on," he promised jokingly. "Okay?"

Haley had to laugh at their conversation. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now can we please get out of the car?"

"Sure. We've got some math to go over."

"On second thought..."

"Let's go, Scott," she ordered. They sat in their usual seats at the picnic table and took out their school things.

"Wait, before we do this—" Nathan interrupted as Haley began to review their last lesson.

"What is it?"

"Two things. Number one: you're not actually going to go on a fake date, are you?"

Haley giggled at the nervous and slightly jealous look on his face. "No, of course not. I just told Shelley I'd think about it to shut her up."

"And thinking about it means…"

"Definitely no," Haley clarified.

"Okay, good."

"And what's number two?"

"Number two is that I got this in the mail yesterday." Nathan reached into his backpack and pulled out an envelope. Before picking up Haley, he'd taken a quick trip to his old house to check on his mail. Nathan's jaw had dropped as soon as he'd seen it.

"Oh my God, that's from Duke."

"I know."

"What does it say? Did you get in?"

"I don't know. I haven't opened it yet."

"Why not?"

"Because I just got it. Plus, I'm nervous," he admitted. "I've always wanted to go there. I mean, what if I didn't get in?"

Haley reached over to touch the envelope. "Judging by how thick it feels, I'd be willing to guess that you did. Nathan, open it," she encouraged.

He nodded in response. "Okay. Here it goes." With slightly shaky fingers, he ripped open the top and pulled it apart. Nathan reached inside and took out the small packet of papers. On top was a letter.

"What does it say?" Haley prompted anxiously. She knew that Nathan was accepted already based on the envelope's contents, but she still wanted to hear the words themselves.

"It says, 'Dear Mr. Scott, we are pleased to inform you that you've been accepted to Duke University—"

"I told you!" Haley exclaimed in excitement.

"—and will receive a full basketball scholarship to study and play for the school," Nathan read as a huge smile formed on his face. "I can't believe it."

"I can. Baby, I am so proud of you. You deserve this," she declared while caressing his cheek.

"Does that mean that we don't have to do anymore math today?" he asked hopefully.

Haley laughed and shook her head. "Nice try."

"Come on. We should celebrate."

"By doing what?"

"Well," he began in a husky voice, "I was thinking that I'd really like to kiss you for the rest of the morning." He brushed his lips against hers.

"If you want to do well at Duke, you really should continue studying now," Haley replied in a matter-of-fact tone. But she could already feel her resolve waning as Nathan's mouth trailed down her neck.

"Don't you want to make out with your superstar boyfriend?"

"It's nice to know that your ego hasn't gotten any bigger," she laughed, which ultimately turned into a moan as he sucked on a patch of her tender skin.

"There's nothing wrong with a little confidence."

Haley snorted in amusement. "Yeah, that's what it is."

Nathan mock glared at her before gently kissing her lips. "The only thing that would make this even better is if you got your letter, too."

"I know. It hasn't come in yet. And I'm assuming you didn't get yours from Stanford."

Nathan shook his head. "No. But I did have Whitey make a call to them."

"It's kind of scary, you know? We have to pick our futures for the next four years."

He took her hand in his. "We may not even end up at the same place."

Haley frowned at that. "Why do you say that?" If they both got into their own and each other's first-choice schools, they'd agreed to talk about where they would go in the fall. That had been the deal. Haley felt an anxious knot form in the pit of her stomach. Was Nathan having second thoughts about that now that he got into Duke?

"I just…" he trailed off, squeezing her hand. "Look, I just don't want to disappoint you if I don't get into Stanford."

"Nathan, if you can get into Duke, you can get into Stanford."

"It's not the same, though. I mean, sure, Duke is a great school. But it's also very focused on basketball. Stanford, on the other hand, seems much more focused on academics," Nathan explained. "Basketball isn't as big there as it is here. With my grades, they might not take me."

Haley ran a comforting hand through his hair and down his cheek. "You don't know that."

Nathan shrugged, unconvinced.

Haley guided his face to hers and kissed him deeply. "Well, we'll deal with that when we come to it. But for the record, I think you have a pretty good shot."

Nathan gave her a small smile before capturing her lips once more. He shifted his position on the bench and wrapped his arms around Haley. She let out a small squeal in surprise as he positioned her on his lap.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing right now," she murmured without breaking contact.

He buried his hand in her long, silky tresses to keep her close. "And what is that?"

"You don't want to do math."

"I'm not denying it." He smirked.

"You're lucky you're not my average tutee," she said, giving in. "Or else you'd be in trouble." The truth was she wasn't really in the mood to do math either. Nathan's lips were so warm and enticing at the moment. Even in the cold weather he had the ability to make her melt.

"Haven't you heard? I am trouble," he joked.

Haley moved her head to the side to give him better access as his mouth caressed the underside of her jaw and neck. "I don't doubt that," she replied breathlessly. A soft sigh escaped as his hand slid under her jacket to massage her back and waist.

The pair lost all sense of time and place as they became completely wrapped up in each other. It wasn't until they heard a throat clear some time later that they broke apart.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" Lucas questioned with an amused grin.

Nathan groaned. "You suck, man. You know that?"

Lucas chuckled. "Hey, I'm only here to pick up the Clean Teen and bring her to school. Although, after what I just saw, I guess I saved her virtue, too."

"Ha ha," she deadpanned while getting up off of Nathan's lap.

"I thought you were supposed to be the tutor, Hales. Not my horn dog of a brother here."

"Hey, I resent that," Nathan objected. "And for your information, I got into Duke. So Haley here was just giving me a congratulatory kiss."

"Wait, you got into Duke?"

Nathan smiled proudly. "Full ride and everything."

"That's awesome, man. Congratulations."

"Thanks." They bumped fists. "By the way, are you going to be home tonight?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I, uh, wanted to talk to you about that project I'm doing."

Lucas frowned. "What project?"

"That special project, remember?" Nathan prompted while giving him a stern look.

"Oh. _That_ project," Lucas said, finally catching on. "What's going on?"

"There's been a new development. We should really go over it."

Lucas's eyebrows rose, intrigued. "Sure. Stop by whatever time you can."

"Okay, great."

When they were finished talking, Nathan looked over at Haley. She was staring between the two, confused.

"What project?" Haley asked.

"Um, it's nothing."

"Is it for school? Because I can help you work on it, Nathan, during our sessions," she offered.

"It's not really school related."

"It's more like a hobby," Lucas joined in.

"A hobby?" Haley questioned as she stared at them suspiciously. Was she being paranoid or did it seem like they were hiding something from her?

"Yeah. Don't worry about it," Nathan answered.

"You're sure."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we can handle it."

"O-kay." She glanced between them for another moment, trying to figure out why they were acting so weird.

_Something's up_, Haley noted. But she decided to let it go for now. She wouldn't be able to get anything out of them at the moment—especially when they were together. Divide and conquer was always the best strategy.

"Well, we better get going, Hales. We have to pick up Brooke, too."

"All right." She turned to Nathan and gave him a quick kiss goodbye. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. I love you."

She smiled. "I love you, too."

~***~

"I can't believe that P. Sawyer abandoned me."

"Gee, thanks, Brooke."

"You know that I love you, Tutor Girl. It's just that she has my mango nail polish. She was supposed to give it back to me now. I mean, what am I supposed to do during study hall?"

Haley smiled wryly. "Um, study?"

"Yeah, that's boring."

"And you call yourself our class president," she teased.

"Just because I'm president, doesn't mean I like homework," the brunette pointed out.

"I guess you have a point. By the way, Peyton is making up an English quiz she missed from being absent the other day."

"That sucks. Don't these teachers realize that it's bad enough that we're sick? They have to add homework and makeup tests into the mix, too."

There had been a bad flu going around the school. The unusually low temperatures this winter were causing everyone to come down with it. Tissues and Purell were quickly becoming a hot commodity.

"That's life."

"Spare me the philosophical thoughts, Tutor Girl. I'm sick of school. I hope college is better than this."

"It is. My sister Quinn hated high school, but she loved college. She said that she had a lot more time for herself and to get her class work done."

"Or more time to party." A beaming smile formed on Brooke's face. "I like it."

"Tigger, you make me worry sometimes."

"Relax, I'll be fine. I'll probably be swamped at FIT."

"What's FIT?"

"It's the Fashion Institute of Technology. It's one of the best schools for fashion in the country."

"Wow. And you got in?"

"Yup!"

"That's so awesome, Brooke."

"Thanks."

"Did you tell Lucas yet?"

"I did as soon as I got my letter of acceptance in the mail. He was so proud of me."

"He should be. And so should you."

"Don't worry. I am. I wasn't sure if I was going to get in, but I was thrilled when I did."

"So I guess that means that you and Lucas will be going to separate schools, after all."

It was only last week that Lucas had told Haley he'd gotten accepted to UNC. He had always wanted to become a Tar Heel, and it looked as if it was finally going to come true.

"I know. It's going to suck, but they're our dream schools. We both couldn't pass up on the opportunities. Besides, if we can survive the long distance, we can survive anything."

Haley stared down at her fidgeting hands. "Yeah…"

"What about you and Nathan? Did you guys decide what you're doing yet?"

"No," Haley sighed. "I got into Stanford, and Nathan actually just got his letter from Duke today. Now we're just waiting."

"How ironic. You both got into your dreams schools and are now waiting for the opposite school to accept you."

"That's pretty much it."

"And what happens if you both get into those, too."

Haley looked down and played with her hands. "Then we're going to have to have that talk and figure out what to do."

"What if one of you doesn't get into the other's school? What then?" Brooke asked.

Haley shrugged. "I honestly don't know. It's just another thing we'll have to discuss."

"I remember you saying that Stanford is your dream school. But would you really consider going to Duke?"

"Yeah, I would," Haley answered. "Duke is a great school, too. And it's important to Nathan. Not to mention I'd be able to stay here in North Carolina."

"I'm sensing a but…"

Haley smiled. "But…what always attracted me to Stanford was the fact that it was so different. I've never seen so many diverse people in one place before. I think it'd be kind of nice to get out of the state and explore another part of the country. I mean, isn't that one of the perks of college?"

"It is—hence why I'm heading to New York. Although, it's not like I've never been there. But that's beside the point. I mean, I love Tree Hill because it's my home. But at the same time, it's not exactly the fashion capital of the world. And if I want to be a designer, I have to go where the industry is."

"That makes sense," Haley agreed.

Brooke stared at her for a long moment. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Haley dismissed.

"Come on, Tutor Girl, I know you better than that."

"It's just that…well, even though Nathan and I talked about it, it still seems like a long shot that he'll go to Stanford."

"What do you mean? You don't think he'll get in?"

"No. I think he will. But—and he mentioned this earlier—Stanford is not a basketball school. Duke is the ideal place for someone as talented as Nathan. Not to mention that Dan would flip out if Nathan didn't go to Duke. God knows what he'd do to him then."

"Have you talked to Nathan about all of this?"

"No, but I've been thinking about it for awhile now."

"Haley," Brooke said, putting her hand atop hers, "Nathan loves you. If Stanford is that important to you, I really think he'd go with you."

"But is it okay for me to ask that of him? To just give up on Duke and follow me to a school he never would've even applied to in the first place?"

"I don't know. But is it okay for him to do that to you, too?" Brooke said in reverse.

"The difference is Duke was a college I was considering, regardless."

Brooke sighed. "Look, I don't know. All I can tell you is that you need to follow your gut. Whatever feels right to you and makes you happy, do it."

"And if Nathan can't handle that?"

"Then he's not the great guy we thought he was."

~***~

"Hi, Nathan," Karen greeted. "Come on in."

"Hi, Miss Roe."

"Please, Nathan, I told you to call me Karen."

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I'm surprised to see you here—not that you're not welcome, of course."

"Oh, um, I just stopped by to see Lucas real quick. He said that he'd be home. I tried knocking on his door, but he didn't answer."

"He went to the River Court a little while ago, but he should be back any moment now."

"Oh, okay."

"Are you hungry? I just baked some chocolate cookies if you'd like one?"

Nathan could smell the sweet aroma all through the house. His stomach instantly growled. "Uh, sure. I had to work after practice and haven't gotten a chance to eat dinner yet."

"Well, then late me make you a plate, too."

"No, you don't have to do that. I can't stay that long."

"You can eat while you wait. Besides, I'm a mom. It's in my nature to feed you," Karen joked and led the way to the kitchen.

Nathan followed behind her.

"Let's see what I've got. There's some leftover spaghetti and meatballs. I also have some chicken salad if you'd like a sandwich," she listed while searching in the refrigerator. "Oh, and there's one last piece of meat pie."

Nathan frowned, confused. "What's meat pie?"

"It's basically just ground up hamburger in a pie crust. But it's got all flavoring in it, too. It's really good if you'd like to try it."

"Uh, sure. Sounds good."

"Great. Why don't you take a seat while I heat it up for you." Nathan sat at the kitchen table as Karen bustled around the kitchen. "What would you like to drink? Soda? Water? Milk?"

"Soda is fine. Thanks."

A couple of minutes later, Karen placed the plate of meat pie in front of Nathan along with his drink. It didn't take long for the delicious aroma to fill his nostrils.

"Oh, before you dig in." She handed him a bottle of ketchup. "Put that on it."

"All right." Nathan did as she said before taking a bite. His eyes practically rolled into the back of his head it was so good.

"Tasty?"

"Definitely," Nathan said, taking another bite. Within a few minutes, the entire plate was clean.

"You know, it always amazes me how fast you boys can eat," Karen kidded as she brought him another plate with a chocolate chip cookie.

"Hey, Ma, I smell dinner," Lucas called as he made his way to the kitchen. "Oh, hey, Nate."

"Hi."

"I smell meat pie. Can I have a piece?"

"Actually, Nathan just ate the last piece."

"Aw, come on. That's not right," Lucas jokingly complained.

"You snooze you lose," Nathan teased.

"Nathan is a guest," Karen declared. "He gets first choice of food."

"I see how it is."

"I can heat up some spaghetti and meatballs if you'd like."

Lucas shrugged. "Eh, why not? Those are pretty good, too. But, um, why don't you wait a few minutes? Nathan and I have to work on something."

"Okay. Let me know when you're ready."

"Sure." Lucas nodded for Nathan to follow him to his room.

"I found the smoking gun to tie Dan to the money laundering," Nathan told him as soon as the door was shut.

"You're sure." He kept his voice low.

"Positive."

"What is it?"

"I caught Dan last night putting some cash in the ceiling. Obviously it was suspicious so I waited until he was gone before I checked it out."

"And what was it exactly?"

"He had a bag up there filled with money."

"Oh. Is that it?"

Nathan could hear the disappointment in Lucas's voice. He knew that his brother was already thinking that that wasn't what they needed to pin Dan. "No." He smiled.

Lucas seemed to perk up at that. "What else was there?"

"A ledger."

"What?" he questioned, the intrigue already seeping into his voice.

"I didn't get to read the whole thing, but Dan's basically listed all of the transactions."

"It makes sense. He's dealing with large amounts of money. He doesn't want to slip up."

"Yeah, well, it's too late for that," Nathan declared, smirking. "And you know what's even better?"

"What?"

"He's been doing it for years."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"I'm so excited!"

"We know."

"I just can't wait."

"You've said that about a million times."

"I still can't figure out what I'm going to wear. Maybe I should cancel cheer practice."

"Brooke, come on, be realistic."

"I am. You know how long it takes me to get ready."

"What I think Peyton is trying to say is that just because it'll be Valentine's Day tomorrow you can't—"

"It's not _just_ Valentine's Day. It's the most romantic day of the year," Brooke declared. "And it's the first time that Broody and I will be celebrating it together."

"It's the same thing for Jake and me," Peyton reminded her.

"And me and Nathan," Haley added quietly, making sure that no one else in their study hall could hear her.

"Well, Lucas is taking me out for an expensive dinner. What about you guys?"

"Jake and I are driving to Charlotte for a concert."

"Oh, who are you going to see?" Haley asked curiously.

"Jimmy Eat World."

"Jimmy Eat who?" Brooke questioned.

Peyton laughed and rolled her eyes. "Jimmy Eat World. How can you not know them?"

Brooke shrugged. "They sort of sound familiar. But then again, I'm not exactly an emo girl."

"They're not emo."

"They must be if you like them."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Sensing a bickering match, Haley cut in, "A concert sounds like a lot of fun, Peyton. That was really nice of Jake to get you tickets."

"Actually, I got the tickets," Peyton clarified. "I don't know what Jake's planning on getting me."

"If he knows what's good for him, it'll be something shiny and expensive," Brooke declared.

Peyton shrugged, indifferent. "I don't mind shiny, but it doesn't have to be expensive."

"And you call yourself a woman," Brooke teased before turning to Haley. "So, Tutor Girl, what about you and Boy Toy?"

"What about us?"

"Do you guys have anything planned?"

"No."

"Excuse me?"

Haley looked back down at her homework. "We're not doing anything." When a long silence followed, she glanced up to see her two best friends staring at her open-mouthed. "What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? It's Valentine's Day! How can you not do anything?" the brunette demanded.

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because my boyfriend's dad is an ass and keeping us apart," she answered dryly.

"But I'm sure Nathan has mentioned something. He's going to make it up to you, right?" Peyton inquired.

"He hasn't talked about it at all during tutoring."

"I'm sure he's thought about it. Maybe he has something planned," Brooke suggested.

Haley shook her head. "I don't think so. After basketball practice tomorrow, he's working the rest of the night. There's no way he'll be able to get away from Dan."

Peyton gave her a sympathetic look. "Bummer."

"It's no big deal," Haley said, brushing it off. It's not like she was like Brooke. Valentine's Day was never her favorite holiday. Aside from the flowers and chocolate, nothing really appealed to her. Everything was always decorated in pink. And Haley hated pink.

Although, she did have to admit that a small part of her had been hoping Nathan would find some way to escape his father. While she loved their tutoring sessions, she did miss their dates and nights spent together. It would've been nice to go out like they used to. It didn't have to be anything fancy. But Haley wasn't going to concentrate too much on that. It just wasn't in the cards for them this year.

~***~

"Hey, Nate."

Nathan looked to his left to see Lucas standing beside him at his own locker. "What's up?"

"Are you free tonight?"

"After work I am. Why?"

"I was going to call you, so we can go over our plans."

Taking in his brother's serious look, Nathan knew exactly what he was referring to. "Sure. I won't go home right away." There was no way he was going to chance Dan listening in on their conversation. It was too important.

"Great," Lucas stated. He carefully glanced around, making sure that no one in the hall was listening in. "By the way, did you talk to her yet?"

"No."

"Nathan, we have to make sure we do this right."

"Luke, relax. I will. I know how important this is, but I can't be too obvious with her. You know she doesn't miss anything."

"Well—"

"Um, sorry to interrupt."

The brothers turned to see Haley standing in front of them. "Oh, hey, Hales, we didn't see you standing there," Lucas greeted. If Nathan wasn't so nervous himself, he would've laughed at the sweat breaking out on Lucas's forehead.

"I know. Sorry. But, uh, you were supposed to drive me home today. Remember?"

"Yeah, of course I do. Just let me finish getting my things."

Nathan looked away from her and faced his own locker. As beautiful as Haley looked right now with her hair down and her bottom lip red from biting it, he couldn't let anyone in the hall see how much he really wanted her. The longing he had to just simply hug her in the hallway always hit him hard. Despite their morning sessions, that ache in his chest from missing her still remained throughout the day.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" Haley questioned after a moment. She was addressing them both, but only really staring at Lucas. Again, they had to keep up appearances.

"Nothing important."

"Are you sure? You guys looked kind of serious in your little huddle."

Nathan felt his body tense slightly but masked it. _Act normal, Scott. Don't blow it_, he thought to himself.

"Just basketball stuff," Lucas explained in an offhanded tone. "Nothing to worry about." He slammed his locker shut and faced her. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah."

"Bye, Nate. Talk to you later."

"Bye," Nathan said without turning around. He felt like such a jackass ignoring her.

A couple of minutes later, Nathan had all of his things. The hallway wasn't as crowded now, since most of the student body was heading home. He was just about to head out himself when he turned around to see Brooke right behind him. Her arms were folded as her foot tapped repeatedly on the linoleum floor.

_Uh-oh_. He knew that look.

"Brooke," he greeted nonchalantly.

"Nathan," she replied with a curt smile. "I have a question for you."

"Uh, sure. Go ahead. But I've got to go so can you make it quick?"

Her eyes narrowed a bit. _Okay, wrong thing to say_, he realized.

"Do you have anything special planned for Haley tomorrow?"

"Um…not that I know of."

She snorted. "Do you even know what tomorrow is?"

Nathan wracked his brain for something but couldn't think of anything. This was a setup. He just knew it. "Uh…Thursday?"

"Wrong," she retorted. "Try again."

"I…" Nathan tried to remember if it was someone's birthday. Or maybe he had something due for class or something changed with basketball practice. Once again, he came up with nothing. "I don't know."

"It'll be February Fourteenth. Does that ring a bell?" she hinted.

_February Fourteenth. What's so special about—oh crap!_

"Shit," he cursed in realization. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day!

"I'm assuming that you've finally caught on."

"Damn it, I totally forgot." He had so much on his mind. Most of the stuff he was thinking about had to do with Dan. And then there was the big basketball game this weekend. The playoffs were getting closer and closer, and Whitey was determined to get their asses in shape.

"Yes, you did."

"Shit. I'm screwed," he declared. He'd never actually celebrated Valentine's Day before. Even when he was with Peyton they didn't really do much for the holiday. But Haley wasn't Peyton, which made him feel even more like an ass for forgetting right now. Sometimes he could be so dense.

"Look, Haley is one of my best friends, and I'm sure that I don't have to tell you that these past several months have been shitty for her," Brooke explained. "I know that your father is being an ass to you, too, but as of right now, I think she's getting the brunt of it. I mean, she's a Clean Teen for God's sake. That really sucks."

"I know."

"No. You don't know. I'm the one who's with her most of the day," Brooke proclaimed. "And let me tell you, that girl is tired, stressed, and in some dire need of some TLC from her boyfriend."

"Brooke, believe me when I say that I want to do something special for her. But there is no way that I can find any time besides tutoring to go out with her. My dad practically has me on lockdown."

"Excuses, excuses. Do you love her or not?" she huffed.

"Of course I do," he exclaimed.

"Then do something! Anything! I'm not saying it has to be big and elaborate. She likes simple things—which I'll never understand but to each her own. Anyway, you've got to get your ass in gear. I'll even help you out if you want."

"What should I do?"

Brooke smiled. "I can think of a couple of things."

~***~

Nathan stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He grabbed another towel to dry his hair. He had to hurry up this morning if he was going to get to Haley's house on time. Although Brooke had chewed his ass out, he was glad that she'd reminded him about Valentine's Day. Nathan didn't think that he could bear to see Haley's disappointed face when she realized that he'd forgotten about her on the most romantic day of the year.

Some boyfriend he was turning to out to be.

"Nathan," came his father's voice and a knock on the door.

_Shit_.

"What?"

"Open up. I need to talk to you."

"I'm kind of in a hurry."

"Then that makes two of us," he replied impatiently. "Now open up this door."

Nathan quickly put his clothes on and begrudgingly unlocked his door. Dan immediately entered.

"What is it, Dad?" Nathan asked while walking back into his bathroom to style his hair.

"I was just wondering if you'd mind explaining to me why there's a pile of college letters hiding under your bed."

Nathan paused in his actions and turned to face Dan, stunned. "What?"

"I thought it was odd that you hadn't received anything at this point. So I did a little digging, so to speak."

"You went through my things?"

"I wouldn't have had to if you'd just been honest with me," Dan stated in a stern voice. "How could you not tell me that you got into Duke?"

"I was going to wait until I got the majority of my letters back."

"Somehow I don't believe that. You deliberately hid these from me, Nathan," he accused. "And I'd like to know how you orchestrated it seeing as though I've been checking the mail everyday before you even get home."

"It's not like I did it on purpose," Nathan lied. Dan would blow a fuse if he knew that Nathan was deliberately not having things sent to the house. "I filled out most of the applications when I was living with Mom."

"So she's getting them?"

"Yeah."

Dan rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Great."

"She has a right to know what's going on, too," Nathan reminded him.

"Yeah, well, she doesn't know what's best for you."

_Neither do you_, he thought wryly.

"You've gotten a lot of great offers," Dan said as he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out the letters.

"I know," Nathan muttered.

"But Duke has always been the dream. And seeing as though they're bending over backwards to get you there with this offer, I say you take it."

Nathan chose his next words carefully. He knew they probably wouldn't go over well. "I can't do that yet."

"Why not?" Dan replied indignantly. "This is Duke, Nathan."

"I know. But I haven't gotten letters from a few other places yet. I think it'd be a good idea to wait and see what all of my options are."

"Options," Dan repeated with a tone of disgust. "You don't need options, Nathan. This is Duke we're talking about. It's the best basketball school in the country. There are no other options."

"It's the smart thing to do," he said, standing his ground.

"And what are these other schools that you're waiting for?" Dan demanded.

"UCLA, Maryland, UConn—"

_Stanford_, he silently noted. He and Haley had promised not to make any decisions until they'd learned whether they'd gotten into each other's dreams schools. She hadn't gotten her letter from Duke yet, either.

"Did you get hit in the head at practice or something?!" Dan exclaimed. "You're holding out on Duke for those schools?!"

"Dad, this is my decision, and I think it's a smart idea to just wait a little longer."

"No offense, son, but being smart really isn't your thing."

Nathan felt his fists tighten at the insult. It's not like he wasn't used to being thrown down by his father by now. But as the days passed, he found himself getting more and more fed up with it. "Whatever, Dad, I'm waiting," Nathan proclaimed as he marched past him and into his bedroom.

"What are you doing? We're not finished here," Dan told him. "And why are you dressed? You should be going on your morning run."

"I don't have time. I've got a meeting with Whitey this morning before school," Nathan fibbed again. He had to get out of the house now or his whole morning would be screwed up.

"Nathan—" Dan started to argue.

"I'll talk to you later," he interrupted and then bolted for the door.

~***~

Haley scrambled frantically around her room. She couldn't believe how late she was. Her day was not going as planned. First, her alarm clock hadn't gone off. And since her parents were away for a few days on a romantic getaway, she'd had no one to wake her up. Then there was a problem with the shower. There was barely any hot water.

On top of that, her hair dryer was broken. She'd gone into her sister Taylor's old room to grab hers. It wasn't the best piece of machinery, but it got the job done. After her hair was dry, Haley rushed back into her room to get dressed and grab her school things. Nathan would be there soon to pick her up.

Unfortunately, Haley remembered that she didn't have any washed Clean Teen shirts in her room. She'd have to go downstairs to the laundry room. She huffed out a frustrated breath and headed for the stairs. Haley had just entered the kitchen when she let out a surprised yelp and halted.

The kitchen was completely decorated. There were candles and rose petals everywhere. The center island had a red and white checkered tablecloth placed on top of it. There were also two place settings along with a few more lit candles. The scent of the food on the table was overwhelming as she inhaled the strawberry pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

Finally, her eyes landed on the man responsible. Nathan was standing behind the island with a single rose in his hands. He seemed just as mesmerized as her. That was until she followed his line of sight and remembered that she was wearing nothing more than jeans and a bra.

_Oh crap, my shirt!_

"Nathan!" Haley exclaimed and tried to cover herself. She could already feel the deep blush spreading throughout her body.

That seemed to break his daze. His eyes snapped up to meet hers. "S-sorry," he stammered, looking away. "I, uh, I wanted to surprise you. I didn't mean to…I didn't see…um…"

Haley rushed into the laundry room to get her shirt. "How did you even get in?" she called to him.

"The spare key."

Haley stayed in the laundry room for a moment to collect herself. She felt so embarrassed. When she couldn't hide any longer, she returned to the kitchen, fully clothed. "I, uh, I didn't have any clean shirts upstairs," Haley muttered an explanation.

"Oh. Well, that happens," Nathan replied, trying to keep his focus on her face. He'd nearly died of shock when he saw Haley come flying into the kitchen practically half naked. It's not like he hadn't seen her that way before. It was the same view he'd gotten of her body when she was in a bathing suit.

She wasn't wearing a bathing suit this time, though. It was a bra. A red, lacy bra. And boy was there a difference, judging by the sudden tightness of his pants. Nathan could feel the intense urge to look down at her chest again—despite it now being fully covered. But seeing as though Haley was as red as the rose in his hands at the moment, he tried to keep himself in check. She was clearly embarrassed—not that she needed to be after the perfection he saw.

_Damn, my girl's hot. _

"I thought I was going to be late," she said.

Nathan shook his head discretely to clear his mind of the racy fantasies running through it. "Well, you don't have to worry about that now. Happy Valentine's Day," he declared and handed her the rose.

Despite herself, a small smile formed on Haley's face. "Thank you. I can't believe you did all of this. I had no idea. You hadn't mentioned anything so—"

"It was kind of last minute," Nathan admitted. "I know this is going to make me look like an ass, but I'd actually forgotten about today."

"Really?" Haley questioned as she glanced around her beautifully-decorated kitchen.

"Yeah. Brooke actually reminded me."

Haley laughed. "Let me guess, she yelled at you."

"Yes, basically. But I'm glad that she did, because I would've felt like an ass if I'd forgotten our first Valentine's Day together. In fact, I already do feel like an ass," he revealed.

"You really didn't have to go through all of this trouble. But it does certainly make up for it," Haley joked as she eyed the food. "It's beautiful."

Nathan caressed her cheek. "You're beautiful. And it was no trouble. You deserve the best, Hales," he declared and leaned in to place a tender kiss on her lips. Afterward, he led her to her seat. "Now, we don't want Karen's amazing food to get cold, do we?"

Haley smiled. "Definitely not." He pushed her chair in. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I like your shirt," Haley commented as he took his own seat. He was wearing his red polo.

Nathan smirked. "I thought it went appropriately with the theme."

"So, I'm assuming that we won't be having our usual tutoring session this morning," she said after taking a bite of her delicious breakfast.

"You would be correct. This morning you get to relax."

"What about your math quiz today? And—"

"I've got it all taken care of, Hales."

"You're sure," she asked skeptically.

"Yes. Another perk of having such a great tutor is that she taught me how to study all by myself," he replied, smirking.

Haley laughed lightly. "Well, she is pretty great."

"Yeah, she is." Nathan reached for her hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

The pair went back to eating their breakfast. They talked casually and had their usual banter. After having such a hectic morning, Haley welcomed the chance to sit back and enjoy her time with Nathan.

"I'm stuffed," Haley announced when they were done.

"Me, too." Nathan knew that he ate too much, but he couldn't help it. Karen's cooking was just too good to pass up.

"I'll help you clean up." Haley made a move to get up when Nathan halted her.

"No, I'll do it."

"But, Nathan—"

He cut her off with a heated kiss. "No. While I clean, I have something else for you to do."

"And what is that?" she asked, intrigued.

"You can open your gift." He pulled the small box out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"Nathan…" Haley trailed off, giving him a mockingly scolding look. The elaborate breakfast he had surprised her with was more than enough. He didn't have to give her a gift, too.

"Just open it," Nathan coaxed as he brought their dishes to the sink.

Lucky for him, her curiosity won out over her qualms. Haley started to undo the small amount of wrapping paper. She opened the box and stared in awe at the gift. "Oh my God…"

"Do you like them?" Nathan questioned, a bit anxious. He'd rushed to the mall at the last minute yesterday before he had to be at the dealership. He'd been panicked about rushing and not getting Haley the right gift. But as soon as he saw those earrings, he knew they were perfect. They were a little flashier than the jewelry she normally wore, but Nathan had a feeling she wouldn't care about that.

Haley stared at the pair of earrings. They were huge, brown-and-green faceted stones inside of a silver set. "They're gorgeous," Haley replied.

"They're sterling silver, and the stones are made of Swarvoski crystal," he informed her.

"How much did this cost?"

"Don't worry about that," he assured her. "Try them on."

Haley did as he requested and took out the earrings she was wearing. She put on the new ones and turned to face Nathan. "How do they look?"

"Amazing," he complimented. "I knew they'd look great with your eyes."

"I have to see." Haley walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer where a mirror was located. Nathan was right. The brown in the earrings did bring out her eyes.

She smiled when Nathan walked up behind her and pulled her into his embrace. "Thank you again. Everything was perfect."

"Good," he said, placing a tender kiss on the side of her neck.

"You did all of this for me, and I didn't give you anything," she mumbled sadly after a moment. Haley was under the impression that they weren't celebrating the holiday. Now she felt like the worst girlfriend ever for not getting Nathan something in return.

"That's not exactly true. You've given me a lot since we've been together."

"Like what?" she asked.

"I'm not talking about material things. Just you being here for me and standing by me while my father is pulling all of this crap is more than enough. I highly doubt any other girl would be able to handle what you're going through," Nathan explained while rubbing her arms. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you to keep me grounded. And I want you to know how much I love you for that."

Haley turned around in his arms and took his face in her small hands. "And I want you to know that everyday is worth it to me. You're worth it to me."

Nathan didn't say anything further. He simply closed the tiny gap between them to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. He'd spent so many years being put down by his father. It sometimes overwhelmed him how being with Haley could make that emptiness he'd always felt suddenly disappear.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Haley said, breaking the kiss.

Nathan groaned in protest. But instead of fully pulling back, he worked his way down her neck.

"Nathan?"

"I'm listening," he murmured against her skin.

Haley let out a shaky sigh. How was she supposed to concentrate with him leaving such hot kisses on her flesh? It was definitely a distraction.

"I actually do have something for you," she announced, breathless. Her whole body was tingling now from his ministrations.

"Hmm…?"

She pulled his face back up and kissed him deeply. "I got into Duke," she said against his lips.

Nathan instantly halted. "What?"

"I got my letter yesterday, and I've been accepted," Haley explained. She was going to tell him this morning during tutoring. But due to Nathan's surprise, she'd been sidetracked.

"Oh my God, Hales!" Nathan exclaimed.

She laughed at the huge, excited grin on his face and squealed when he unexpectedly picked her up and spun her around.

"I knew you'd get in!"

Haley barely got a word in edgewise as his lips came crashing down on hers, once again. She wrapped her legs around his waist, since he was still holding her up.

"I'm glad that you're so happy," she said when they finally broke apart a few minutes later.

"This was definitely one of the highlights of my day," he proclaimed.

"Really? And what was the other one?" she questioned, curious.

Nathan smirked. "You coming into the kitchen shirtless. Now that was a hell of a surprise."

"Nathan Scott!" she exclaimed.

"I know you were embarrassed, but you have to know how freaking hot you are," he replied. "I thought it was another one of my dreams."

"Ew!" Haley retorted, trying to appear outraged. A part of her, however, couldn't help but heat up at the thought of her boyfriend fantasizing about her. What girlfriend didn't honestly want to hear that? "Put me down."

"Aw, did I make you blush?" he teased, still smirking. He loved getting her all flustered. It was so damn sexy to watch.

"No," she stubbornly replied while trying to wriggle out of his grasp. His hold on her tightened. He wasn't ready to let her go. "Nathan."

He pressed her up against the nearby wall. "What? There's no reason to be self-conscious." He nuzzled his face in her neck. "You know how much I want you."

"Nathan," she repeated. Her voice came out much weaker than before. Already the goose bumps were forming on her skin as he continued to nip and kiss her neck.

Nathan instantly heard the change in Haley's breathing. Her breaths were coming in short gasps, which only seemed to spur him on. One hand clutched her thigh as the other wound into her thick hair. The way she felt completely wrapped around him was driving him insane.

Haley quickly felt the Nathan-induced haze fill her mind. All she could focus on was the way his mouth expertly sought out her weak spots. He was most definitely using them to his advantage. She shivered when his tongue ran across the one just under her chin. Her hand made its way into his hair, holding him to her. Between the way Nathan was pinning her to the wall and his mouth was exploring her neck, her body was practically on fire.

Nathan found himself easily getting lost in everything that was Haley. Her quiet moans were starting to rise in volume, turning him on even further. It didn't help that he kept picturing her in the bra he caught sight of this morning, or the fact that her bed was right upstairs, begging him to lay her on it. Nathan knew it would never go that far. He respected Haley and would never want to push her. But, damn, did it take every ounce of his self-control and love for this girl to keep himself in line.

Aside from the aching want he had for her, there was something else nagging at him in the back of his mind. There was something he was supposed to ask Haley today. Something important. Lucas had been pushing him to do it. The tricky part was trying to get it out of Haley without making her suspicious.

Hearing Haley moan again, an idea popped into his head. When would she be more distracted than right now?

"Hales?" Nathan asked.

"Yes?" she whispered back.

He moved away from her neck and attacked her lips. "Do you remember when Lucas and I got locked in that shed over the summer?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember the trick you used to get us out?"

"Mm hm…"

"How did you do it?"

Haley pulled back a bit to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, how does that lock trick work?"

"Why do you need to know?"

Nathan held back a groan. She was not making this easy. "I was just thinking about it the other day," he said, returning his mouth to her neck. "And I was curious."

"Um, it's not that hard. I just got a bobby pin and sort of jiggled it around a certain way," she explained in a breathy voice. She bit her bottom lip when she felt his tongue run along her skin.

"Like how?"

"I don't know. It just works, I guess." She guided his face to look at hers. "Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"

Nathan struggled for a quick answer. "Um, no reason. I was just curious," he stated. He lowered his voice to a husky tone a moment later. "It was just really sexy. That's all."

Much to his relief, she seemed satisfied with that answer. "Oh…"

"Forget it," Nathan said, brushing it off. "I'm just being stupid." He moved his face back to hers, recapturing her lips and full attention.


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. I was finally able to work my way through a few piles of homework this week and get some time to myself. Thank you all for the reviews last chapter. I always enjoy reading your feedback. I also want to let you know that I will be updating "MA" very soon. I'm almost finished with the next chapter. Anyway, I hope you'll like this update and leave a review. Enjoy!**

**

* * *

****Chapter 28**

"Is everything set?"

"Yes."

"You're sure?" Lucas questioned.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah. Dan's leaving tonight, so we should be good to go."

"We may have only one shot at this."

"I know," he replied.

Nathan ran a nervous hand through his hair. He could feel the pressure start to build within him as he thought about his and Lucas's big plan. They'd been going over it for a few weeks now. Dan would be going on a business trip to Charlotte this weekend. He'd be leaving tonight, Thursday, to get a head start.

Nathan would still go to work tomorrow like usual. He'd stay behind for as long as he could to make sure that everyone was out of the building. When the coast was finally clear, he'd drive to Lucas's house. They'd wait another hour or two before returning later that night. Afterward, they'd make their way into the empty dealership as inconspicuously as possible. Then, once in, they'd go into Dan's office and grab the bag of money along with the ledger.

This must be the hundredth time they were running through it. Everything had to be perfect if they were going to be successful. Then this whole nightmare that Nathan called his life would be over. He'd finally be free of Dan, and things could go back to normal.

"Are you positive that you have that lock thing down?"

"I've been practicing," Nathan answered. He'd recently discovered that his father had started to lock his office door whenever he left. Nathan couldn't really blame him. If he'd been hiding thousands of dollars of laundered money in a ceiling, he'd be cautious, too.

"But have you got it down?"

"I'm pretty sure."

"Nathan—" Lucas groaned.

"Lucas, relax. I'll open that damn door if it's the last thing I do," Nathan promised. He didn't have a key to his father's office. Nathan had to find a more creative way to get inside. That's when he'd remembered his girlfriend's special skill.

Haley had learned from her sister Taylor how to pick locks. It's how she had freed him and Lucas when that jerk Ryan and his friends trapped them in a shed in the middle of the woods. Nathan had discretely asked Haley about it a few weeks ago. Ever since then, he'd been practicing it as much as he could. He wasn't an expert lock picker, but he was improving. Sometimes it worked; sometimes it didn't. Nathan just hoped that when the time came, he'd be able to get the door open without a problem. He and Lucas needed to be as quick as possible.

"Okay," Lucas sighed and checked his watch. "I've got to. I'm driving Brooke and Haley home."

"Luke, wait," Nathan halted him just as he was about to leave.

"What?"

"I just wanted to say thanks again. You don't have to do this." Nathan didn't know how he'd have been able to figure out a plan to pull this off if he didn't have Lucas's help.

"Yeah, I do."

Nathan was slightly taken aback by his answer. "What do you mean?" he asked, curious.

"It may not seem like it, but I need to be rid of Dan, too. He's hurt a lot of people over the years," Lucas explained. "I'm doing this for my family."

Nathan nodded in understanding. "He put you and your mom through hell."

"And my little brother," Lucas added and patted him on the back. "I think it's time that we finally made things right—together."

"Definitely," Nathan agreed. After so many years of him and Lucas hating one another, it was time that they finally took down the man who started it all. Nathan gave his brother a small smile as they bumped fists.

"Are you going to the dealership now for your shift?" Lucas inquired.

"Um, no. Whitey wanted to see me. He's probably pissed that I haven't shown up yet. He told me to go to his office straight after practice," Nathan explained. "That was ten minutes ago."

"Good luck, then," Lucas joked. "I'll see you tomorrow, man."

"Yeah."

"And don't be late."

"I won't," Nathan promised. He watched Lucas walk down the deserted hallway before making his way back into the boy's locker room. It was completely empty now. Nathan was sure everyone was eager to leave after the grueling practice they'd just had. The semi-finals were fast approaching, and there was a lot resting on the team to make it to State this year. They were the only team in the last seventeen years that seemed capable of winning the championship. And with Whitey retiring after this season, nobody wanted to let him leave empty handed.

"You're late," Whitey remarked as soon as Nathan walked into his office.

"Sorry, Coach. I got caught up."

"I saw you outside chit chatting with that brother of yours. I should be mad that you made me wait. But then again, it's nice to see the two of you converse without any punches being thrown."

"We haven't hit each other in a while, Whitey," Nathan reminded him.

"Just because you knuckleheads finally came to your senses doesn't mean that I don't remember it."

Nathan smirked. "Gee, thanks. Is this why you needed to see me?"

"No," Whitey answered, chuckling. "Take a seat."

"Am I in trouble?"

"Why? What'd you do?" the old man asked with a suddenly suspicious expression.

"Nothing," Nathan laughed. "I was just wondering."

Whitey stared at him for a few more seconds. "No, you're not in trouble. I got a call from one of the schools you were interested in."

Nathan's ears perked up at that. "Which one?"

"Stanford."

"What'd they say?" he asked eagerly.

Whitey smiled. "Well, how much time do you got?"

~***~

"Wow. So that's your final decision?" Haley questioned as she switched her cell phone to her other ear. She'd been talking to Peyton for the last hour as she cleaned her room and then got ready for bed. Haley made her way out of the bathroom and down the hall into her bedroom. She collapsed onto her bed as she listened to her friend talk about her plans for college.

"Yeah," Peyton replied. "I'm going to the Savannah College of Art and Design."

"That's awesome, Peyton. I heard it's a really great school."

"It is. When my dad and I went to visit it a couple of weeks ago, I just fell in love with it."

"What about Jake? Where's he going?" Haley questioned curiously. The last time she'd checked, Jake hadn't made any final decisions. But now that Peyton was officially going to school in Georgia, she had a feeling that Jake wouldn't be far behind.

"Georgia State University."

"Are they close to each other?"

"Sort of. They're like three or four hours away from each other, which is nothing compared if you compared it to one of us going to school in another state."

"That worked out well. I'm really happy for you guys."

"Thanks."

Haley played with a strand of her hair. "I'm a little sad, though."

"Why?" She could hear the frown in Peyton's voice.

"Because we're all going to be separated. I mean, Brooke's going to FIT. Lucas is going to UNC. And you and Jake are going to Georgia."

"Don't forget Tim is going to Tree Hill Community College and Kat will be at UCLA."

"See. Separated," Haley emphasized.

"What about you and Nathan?"

Haley sighed. "I don't know. We both got into Duke. Now we're just waiting on Stanford."

"You guys aren't thinking of going anywhere else?"

"No," Haley answered. "Those are our dreams schools. I mean, we both have the option of going to our first choice picks. It'd be pointless to consider anywhere else."

"I see what you mean."

"I just don't know what to do," she stated.

A second later, she heard a tap on her window. There was only one person who used her window like a front door. Haley looked over and smiled when she saw Nathan waiting for her on the other side.

"I'm sure you guys will figure it out. You just have to have that talk," Peyton advised.

"Yeah, you're right," Haley replied as she went over to open the window. "Uh, Peyton, can we continue this tomorrow? I've got to go."

"Okay, sure. I'll see you in the morning before class."

"All right, bye."

"Bye."

"Who was on the phone?" Nathan questioned as he climbed into her room.

"Uh, Peyton."

"Oh. What'd she say?"

"We were just talking. The real question is what are you doing here?" The times that Nathan actually snuck to her house to see her at night were few and far between recently.

"My dad left for his business trip to Charlotte a half hour ago. And seeing as though he won't be physically around to keep track of me, I figured I'd pay a visit to my gorgeous girlfriend."

Haley smiled as her cheeks turned pink. "Gorgeous, huh?"

"That's right," he stated in a low voice before kissing her affectionately.

"In that case, stay as long as you like," she joked.

"Good. Because I was planning on spending the night," Nathan declared, smirking.

Haley caressed his cheek and stood on her tiptoes to brush her lips against his once more. "Only if you promise to be good. As much as my parents love you, I highly doubt they'd like it if they knew you were sleeping over."

"I guess we should be quiet then, huh?"

"Definitely."

Nathan kissed her forehead before taking off his jacket. It was followed by his shirt, jeans, and shoes. Afterward, he walked over to Haley's dresser and pulled out the undershirt and pair of basketball shorts he kept there for nights like these.

"So you must be relieved that Dan's gone for a few days," Haley commented from her spot on the bed.

Nathan took a seat across from her. "Yes. I've been counting down to it all week."

Haley smiled and ran her hand through his hair. "Good. It'll be a nice break."

"Plus, I'll get to see more of you," he said while interlacing their hands.

"That's always important," she joked.

Nathan chuckled softly. "You bet your fine ass it is."

Haley sighed in contentment as Nathan leaned in to capture her lips in a deep kiss. It still amazed her how he had the ability to turn her insides to goo with just a simple touch.

"I have some news." He placed one more peck on her mouth before pulling away.

"Please tell me it's good."

He smirked. "I'm sure you'll love it."

"Okay, now I'm scared," Haley teased.

"No, this is nothing to be scared of. I'd be more worried about what comes after, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come it."

"You do realize that you're making me even more anxious at the moment, right?" She hated when he got all cryptic on her.

Nathan kissed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Whitey asked to see me after practice today."

"What did he want?"

"He got a call from the head basketball coach at Stanford."

Haley felt her heart speed up at that. "Really?"

Nathan nodded.

"Well, what did he say?"

"They want me," he announced.

Haley couldn't hold back the smile that formed on her face. "Oh my God, really?!"

"Yes. They've offered me a scholarship and everything."

"Oh my God, that is so great!" Haley beamed in excitement. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I'm so proud of you. I told you you'd get in."

"I probably should've listened to you. You're always right."

"You better believe it, mister," she laughed before guiding his face to hers.

Nathan pulled her onto his lap as their lips continued to ravage the other's in celebration.

"Now comes the hard part," he declared, out of breath, once they broke apart.

"Which is?" Haley questioned, already knowing the answer.

"Which school do we pick?"

Haley quietly groaned and buried her head in his chest. "That just killed my buzz."

"I'm sorry," Nathan mumbled while running a comforting hand through her hair.

"It's not your fault. I was actually just talking to Peyton about college a few minutes ago. I've been dreading this."

"Me, too."

"So how do we decide?"

Nathan shrugged. "A coin toss."

"Yeah, that's a great strategy. Let's base our entire futures on heads or tails," she replied with a roll of her eyes.

"It was just a suggestion," he replied, laughing.

"Maybe we should decide one thing first."

"What?"

"Whether we definitely want to go to the same place or not."

"I thought that was a given," Nathan stated, frowning.

"It is. I just wanted to make sure."

"I can barely stand being apart from you now, Hales. Being across the country from you will probably kill me."

Haley nodded in agreement. "I don't want us to be separated either. I miss you enough already."

"So we're absolutely sure that we want to go to the same school?" Nathan clarified.

"Yes."

"And it all comes down between Duke and Stanford?"

"Uh-huh."

"Great," he sighed. "This should be easy."

"So, what do you think?" Haley asked after a moment of silence.

"What do you think?"

"I asked you first."

"Honestly, I don't know," Nathan admitted. "They're both schools we've been set on for a long time. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages for the both of us."

"I know."

Nathan rested his forehead against hers. "This sucks."

"Totally."

"Well, I just found out that I got into Stanford. Now that we know our options, I think the best thing to do right now is take time to think it over," he suggested. "I mean, we have another month or two before we need to decide."

"I was actually hoping that we'd make a decision within the next few weeks. I don't want to wait too long, Nathan."

"Okay. Well, why don't we take a few days to think it over? Then we can talk about this again and try to make a decision."

"That sounds good," Haley agreed. There was so much for them to consider about both schools.

"Good. So let's forget about it for now before you worry too much and chew off your bottom lip," he said with a knowing smile.

Haley immediately released her lip, flushed. "Sorry," she muttered.

Nathan smiled as his mouth hovered dangerously close to hers. "It's okay. It's actually kind of sexy."

A quiet moan escaped her when he closed the distance between them and nipped at her bottom lip himself. Haley pressed herself tighter against him and practically shivered when his tongue slid across the rim of her mouth. She was still worried about their college plans, but welcomed this kind of distraction. It was so easy to forget things and get lost in him.

"It's getting late. We should probably get to sleep," Nathan muttered when he noticed the time on her alarm clock.

"I guess." Haley climbed out of his lap.

Nathan instantly felt the loss of contact and regretted saying anything.

"But I'm actually not that tired," Haley added. She moved back on the bed and yanked on his shirt, guiding him to follow.

"That's funny," he said with a coy smile. "I'm not tired either."

"Go figure," she said in mock disbelief.

Nathan eased himself on top of her. One arm wrapped around her waist as his other hand rested on her cheek. He brushed his thumb across her mouth and down her jaw, savoring the feeling of her silky smooth skin. Haley's lips were slightly swollen and pink from their earlier activities, which made Nathan want to kiss her all over again.

"We're going to make the right decision, right?" Her voice was so soft that Nathan almost didn't hear her. But it was enough to break him out of his trance.

He looked into Haley's eyes and saw the uncertainty and trepidation in them. "We will," Nathan assured her in the most confident voice he could muster.

"Dan will never let you go anywhere else but Duke," she reminded him in a soft voice.

Nathan met and held her gaze. "Baby, I am serious about considering Stanford. Dan won't control me forever. It's my life."

She frowned. "But how—"

"Just trust me," Nathan requested. He placed a long, loving kiss on her lips. "I'm working on it."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"Here is your double bacon cheeseburger and fries, loser."

"Is that how you talk to all your customers?"

"No, just you," Haley replied with a cheeky grin.

Lucas shook his head and took a bite of his burger. "Whatever, geek. Hey!"

Haley popped a fry into her mouth. "Mmm, those are good."

"As my waitress, you should not be eating my food. That's got to be some kind of health code violation."

"But as your best friend, I'm totally entitled to steal it."

"Then maybe I won't be your best friend anymore," he challenged.

Haley laughed. "Please, who can you get that's better than me?"

Lucas pretended to think about it. "Tim."

Haley raised her eyebrows and nodded over to the right. Lucas followed her line of sight. Tim and Kat were having dinner at a table a few feet away. Unfortunately for Kat and the rest of the surrounding customers, they had the perfect view of Tim shoving huge globs of food in his mouth. And of course he was chewing with his mouth open, too.

"Okay, maybe I'll stick with you," Lucas reasoned.

"Good choice," Haley replied before she went to check on a few other customers. When she was done, she returned to her spot behind the counter.

"Jeez, I can't believe you're almost done with that already." Lucas was wolfing down his food almost as fast as Tim. His burger and half his fries were practically gone.

"What? I'm starving."

"Guys are such gross eaters," she muttered to herself while cleaning the coffee pot.

"So, Hales, what time are you on until?" Lucas questioned.

"A few more hours. I get off at nine o'clock. Then I'm helping your mother do inventory."

"Sounds like fun."

"Which reminds me…I was wondering if you wanted to catch a late movie after I finish up?"

"I can't."

"Oh, why not?"

He looked away from her and down at his food. "I've got plans tonight."

Haley stared at him curiously. "What kind of plans?"

"Casual plans. Nothing big."

"O-kay. Is there a reason you're being so cryptic?" she prodded, laughing. Was she imagining things or did it seem like Lucas was dodging her? He did look a little nervous.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to be."

"Are you and Nathan doing something?"

"W-why would you say that?"

Haley didn't miss the tiny stutter in his voice. "I don't know. I saw you guys talking after basketball practice today. It looked like an important conversation."

Haley had noticed the odd way Lucas and Nathan acted around each other lately. They weren't always together, since they had to keep up the appearance that they weren't close. But when they were, there was just something mysterious about the way they interacted. It appeared as if their topic of discussion was some kind of secret. Haley had never let on to Nathan or Lucas that she noticed, but she had.

"Oh, well, that was just basketball stuff. With the semi-finals coming up, things are getting kind of intense."

"So, are you guys working out tonight or something?"

"No. I'm going over Brooke's for the night."

"Okay, you can stop right there," Haley joked.

Lucas chuckled. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. I don't need to know about your adventures at Hotel Brooke."

"Well, enough about me. What's new with you?"

"Nothing much. Oh, but did Nathan tell you he got into Stanford?"

"Yeah, he did. You must be excited."

Haley wiped down the counter. "I am."

"I'm sensing a 'but,'" Lucas stated knowingly.

"But I don't know how it's going to work out. I mean, we want to go to the same school. But it's probably going to have to be Duke. There's no way Dan will let Nathan go to Stanford," she explained. "And he's still holding that incident from last year over his head. He can't get around that."

"Is that what he said?"

Haley twisted the dishcloth around in her hands. "No."

"What did he say, then?"

"He said that he was seriously considering Stanford and that Dan wouldn't control him forever."

"If that's what he said, then I wouldn't worry about it."

"He also said he was working on the Dan situation," Haley stated. "Do you have any idea what that means?"

Lucas shrugged and shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"I just don't want Nathan to get himself into even more trouble." There was only so far you could push Dan Scott before he snapped. There was no telling what he'd do if Nathan gave him anymore trouble. "You'll keep an eye on him when I'm not around, right, Luke?"

"Sure," Lucas replied before returning his attention to the rest of his food.

When he didn't meet her gaze for awhile, Haley ran a hand through her hair and went to check on her customers a second time. She glanced back at Lucas every so often. Haley couldn't put her finger on it, but something mysterious seemed to be surrounding her best friend, too.

~***~

Haley walked into her bedroom and immediately took off her shoes. Her feet were killing her after the busy shift she'd just worked at the café. She was about to change out of the rest of her clothes when she heard her cell phone ring.

Haley reached into her purse to retrieve it. "Hello?"

"Tutor Girl," said a muddled voice.

"Hi, Brooke. What's up?"

"Ugh, everything," Brooke groaned.

Haley frowned. "Are you okay? You don't sound so good."

"That's because I don't feel so good. I think I have that stomach flu that's going around. This is the first time in the last hour that I've been able to leave the bathroom."

"Aw, Brooke, I'm so sorry. Did you need anything?"

She coughed for a moment and sniffled. "No. I'm just calling to cancel our plans tomorrow. There's no way I can leave the house."

"Well, if you're that sick, you shouldn't. Just stay home and get some rest. That's the best thing," Haley advised.

"I know. Thanks," she replied. "I already called Peyton and Kat to let them know, too."

"All right. I'm assuming that Lucas won't be coming over either."

"What about Lucas?"

"You guys had plans tonight, right? He was supposed to come over your house," Haley stated.

"No, he wasn't."

Haley's whole body tensed. "What?"

"We didn't make any plans. He told me he was busy tonight. I think he's going out with the guys from the River Court."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah," Brooke replied, pausing. "Tutor Girl, is something wrong?"

"Um, no," Haley answered quickly. "I must've mixed up the date or something. Forget about it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I'll talk to you again tomorrow, Brooke, and see how you're feeling."

"That's assuming I'm still alive," she said with a groan. "I've got to go. The porcelain bowl is calling."

"Okay, bye. And get plenty of rest." Haley said before hanging up. She ran a hand through her hair as she tried to process what she'd just heard.

Lucas said that he was going over Brooke's tonight. But he told Brooke he was hanging out with the guys at the River Court. Both seemed like plausible stories. But why the need to lie about it? Her earlier suspicions were confirmed. There was definitely something fishy going on.

Haley hastily put her shoes back on and grabbed her purse. She sprinted down the stairs.

"What are you doing, Haley Bop?" her mother asked. She was in the living room watching a movie with her dad.

"I need to borrow the car."

"It's kind of late to be going out," Jimmy said.

"Well, I just remembered that I had plans with Lucas tonight," Haley explained. She knew that if she mentioned his name, her parents wouldn't have a problem letting her leave.

"Oh, okay. Have fun, then," Lydia stated.

"Thanks."

"Don't be out too late," Jimmy called to her.

"I won't," she promised. She hoped it wouldn't take too long to track down her best friend and interrogate him. He had some major explaining to do.

Haley got into her mom's car and took off down the street. Lucas's house wasn't that far from hers. She glance at the clock and noticed that it was a little bit past ten o'clock. Haley hoped that he was home. But if not, she'd wait.

A few minutes later, she was driving down Lucas's street. She could see his house in the short distance. Haley was just about to drive right up to it when she noticed another car parked out front. She checked to make sure no one was behind her as she came to a stop in the street.

_That's Nathan's Mustang_, she noted. _What's he doing here now?_

If she wasn't suspicious earlier, she officially was now. Haley pulled over in front of another house a little ways up from Luke's. She turned off the car's engine and lights, trying to figure out her next move. Should she go in there or should she wait until Nathan came out and talk to him?

She didn't have much time to make a decision when she suddenly saw Nathan and Lucas leave the house. They were both dressed in dark clothes as they headed straight for Nathan's car and got in. Haley wracked her brain for what to do. Could she really ignore the odd behavior?

When they started to take off ahead of her down the street, her mind was made up. She turned her car back on, but left the lights off. She was going to follow them and get to the bottom of this.

~***~

"Is anyone still here?"

Nathan scanned the parking lot of the dealership. "No. It's empty."

"Good."

Nathan parked his Mustang next to one of the cars on the sales lot. He didn't want to chance anyone passing by and deciding to investigate why one car was still parked there late at night. They had to make it look like the building was empty and closed.

"You ready for this?" Lucas questioned.

"Yeah," he replied.

"You nervous?"

"Only if we get caught. A lot is riding on this," Nathan emphasized.

"I know." Lucas took a deep breath and nudged him. "Let's go."

The pair cautiously made their way around the back of the building. Nathan used his key to open the door and sprinted to the security pad to type in the code.

"Can you remember that?" he asked Lucas, just in case.

"Yeah, I got it."

"Okay. This way," Nathan instructed and led him down the dark corridor. "Now would be a good time for that flashlight."

Lucas pulled it out of his jacket and turned it on. The flashlight was small but got the job done. A couple of minutes later, they were standing outside of Dan's office.

"It's locked," Lucas announced while turning the knob.

Nathan nodded his head in understanding and reached into his pocket to pull out a bobby pin. He crouched down in front of the door and stuck the pin inside the lock. He jiggled it around a few times, just like Haley had said.

"Did you get it?" Lucas asked, anxious.

"Not yet."

Nathan heard his brother curse under his breath. He ignored him for the time being and tried to focus on the task at hand. He had to do this or their plan was screwed.

"Nathan," Lucas urged.

"Just give me another minute," he gritted out.

There was a clicking sound, and Nathan smiled as he turned the knob to open the door. "Thank you, Haley. I told you."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Let's just get what we came for and get out of here."

"Fine by me," Nathan replied with a satisfied smirk.

They walked into the office and switched on the lights.

"Shut the door and close the blinds," Nathan directed.

"Got it."

While Lucas did that, Nathan grabbed Dan's chair and moved it to the appropriate spot. He stood on top of it, careful to balance his weight given that it swiveled. He reached up to the ceiling to carefully move aside the panel.

When it was completely out of the way, Nathan leaned up to look inside the hole.

"Do you see any—" Lucas's words were interrupted by the door opening. They both jumped and whipped their heads around to stare at the petite figure standing in the doorway.

"Haley?" Lucas questioned, shocked.

"What the hell are you guys doing?!" she exclaimed.

Taken by surprise, Nathan shifted, causing the chair to move. It was so fast that he couldn't catch his balance on time.

"Shit," he cursed as he fell to the floor.

"Nathan!" Both Haley and Lucas rushed over to him.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked.

Nathan grimaced as he sat up. His ass was killing him. "That's going to leave a mark." He took Lucas's outstretched hand and let him pull him up.

"You sure that you're okay?" Haley questioned.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Good." She then socked him and Lucas hard in the arms.

"Ow!" they cried out in unison.

"Haley, what the hell!" Lucas bellowed as Nathan rubbed his now sore arm.

"'What the hell' is right!" she retorted. "What are you guys doing breaking in here? Are you crazy?!"

"First of all, keep your voice down," Nathan ordered. "And second, we're not breaking in—technically."

"If you're not breaking in, then there's no reason for me to whisper," she fired back.

"Look, we had a key and the security code. So it's not as bad as you think," Lucas justified.

"No, it's worse. I knew something was up!"

Nathan went to shut the office door. "How did you even know we were here?"

"I followed you."

"And why would you do that?" Lucas asked.

"Because I'd gotten a call from Brooke earlier and found out that you weren't where you said you'd be. And seeing as though you gave her a completely different story, I knew that you were hiding something. So I drove to your house to get some answers," she explained. "But, surprise, I drive up to see my best friend and boyfriend sneaking off into the night like a couple of common criminals."

"Hales, it's not what it looks like," Nathan excused.

"Maybe it's exactly what it looks like. I mean, you're dressed in dark clothes in an empty dealership at night. Plus, there's a hole in the ceiling."

"I know you don't believe me right now, but there is a really good explanation for this."

"Then what—"

"I promise that we'll explain it all to you later. But right now, we have to finish this and get out of here. Please," Nathan added when he saw that she was still seething. He was in some deep shit later. But for the moment, he had to focus on what he and Lucas had come to accomplish.

Haley sighed in defeat after a moment. "I want to know the truth about _everything_," she told him in a stern voice.

"You will," Lucas said.

"Promise me, the both of you."

"We promise," Nathan and Lucas stated.

Haley shook her and mumbled something that sounded like "idiots" under her breath.

"Nathan," Lucas urged and nodded towards the ceiling.

"I'm going." Nathan grabbed the chair and repositioned it. He was extra careful to keep his balance. His ass was bruised enough right now.

"You see it?"

Nathan leaned up and stuck his head into the hole to peer inside. What he saw, or the lack thereof, had him letting out a string of curses.

"What's the matter?" Haley spoke up. Despite that she was pissed, her voice sounded worried.

"Nathan." Lucas prodded.

"It's gone."

"What?!"

"The fucking thing's gone!"

"Are you sure?"

Nathan glanced around. "There's nothing here. Son of a bitch!" His blood was practically boiling he was so furious.

"He must've moved it."

Nathan closed up the ceiling and jumped down. "How? I would've seen it."

"Well, it's not like you're here every night. And Dan probably realized that keeping all that money up there wasn't the safest place."

Nathan pounded his fist on the desk, causing Haley to jump. "Damn it!"

"We'll find it, Nate. It's just going to take some more digging."

"That son of a bitch," Nathan mumbled, shaking his head. He finally discovered a way out. He was so close. It figured that Dan would somehow take that opportunity away from him, too.

"Look, we'll—"

"Ssh," Haley suddenly cut in. "Be quiet."

"What—" Nathan began.

"Just shut up," she ordered. "I hear something."

They all went silent. Nathan frowned at Lucas. He didn't hear anything.

"Hales, it's nothing," Nathan said.

"Quiet," Lucas said. "I hear it, too."

Nathan felt his whole body go rigid. The fire that had been running through his veins was instantly squelched as a shiver ran up his spine. The sound of footsteps could be heard just outside the office. And they were getting closer.


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey everyone, thank you for all of the reviews last chapter. I know I left you with a cliffhanger, so I wanted to update again for you guys. Enjoy!**

**

* * *

****Chapter 30**

Haley felt panic shoot through her as the footsteps grew louder. They had to get out of there. If they were caught, God only knows what kind of trouble they'd be in.

"Shit. What do we do?" Lucas whispered. "They're coming this way."

Nathan wracked his brain for a way to handle this. He didn't know who the person outside was, but he had a bad feeling that it was Dan. Who else would be there late at night?

_Maybe the trip to Charlotte was just a cover_, he thought. _Damn it! We're so screwed._

"Nathan," Haley urged with a frenzied edge to her voice. The footsteps were right outside the door. Whoever was out there knew they weren't alone. Either that or they had some business to conduct in Dan's office, which probably meant that it really was his father.

"You have a car, right?" Nathan questioned her hurriedly.

"Yeah." The person shook the doorknob. Nathan thanked God that he'd remembered to lock it. It would give them at least a few more seconds, which was all he needed as an idea popped into his head.

"Okay, Lucas, you take my keys," Nathan said, handing them to him. "The key to get out of here is on that and don't forget about the security code. Now get under the desk until we leave."

Lucas stared at him in utter confusion. "What?"

"Just do it, and shut up," Nathan ordered in hushed tone. "Hurry!" He then grabbed Haley's hand. "Come here."

"Nathan, what—" she started to ask as he dragged her over to Dan's desk. She gasped when he lifted her on top of it.

"Hales, please just go with it," he begged while closing the distance between them and wrapping his arms around her.

"Go with wha—" Haley didn't even get to finish her sentence as Nathan's lips came crashing down on hers. The kiss was fierce, rough, and frantic. Haley didn't know if it was from the feeling of Nathan's hot, aggressive mouth on hers or the pure adrenaline and fear at being caught that had her shaking in his arms. She vaguely heard the sound of the door unlocking and opening and instinctively clung tighter to Nathan.

"Oh!" someone exclaimed in surprise. It wasn't the deep, angry voice that Haley had been expecting to hear. It was higher pitched and feminine.

Nathan broke their kiss and stared at the intruder with the most genuine look of shock that he could muster. When he saw the person standing in the doorway, the relief instantly swept through his body. "Marcy," Nathan stated, truly surprised.

"Nathan," she replied. "You scared me. I thought I heard something."

"What are you doing here?" he questioned.

"I was going out to a club tonight with some friends when I remembered that I'd left my cell phone here."

"Oh."

She eyed the two of them inquisitively. "What about you?"

Nathan briefly glanced down at Haley. "Um, you know…working late."

"I can see that," she quipped.

Haley took a good look at the woman standing in the doorway. She was tall, blond, and leggy. She was dressed in low-rise jeans and a barely-there red halter top. Of course her face was all done up with makeup to complete the seductive ensemble. But the fact that she was so attractive wasn't what bothered Haley. What did were the alluring looks she was now giving Nathan.

Haley glanced back at him and saw that Nathan was giving this woman his full attention. She was already pissed before about this whole situation. Now she was downright infuriated. Haley suddenly had the urge to push him away and storm out of the room. But seeing as though they'd just been caught in Dan's office late at night, she knew now wouldn't be the best time to cause a scene.

"We were actually just leaving," Nathan declared.

"Oh, don't stop on my account," Marcy stated, smirking.

"I have to get her home anyway. Come on, Haley." Nathan went to grab her hand and was taken aback when she moved it out of his reach. He gave her a curious look.

Haley hopped off of the desk and folded her arms around herself. "I'm ready."

"Getting frisky on Daddy's desk," Marcy commented. "I'd heard you were a bad boy, Nathan, but even that's a little risqué."

Haley's eyes narrowed at the obvious way she was flirting with him.

"Well, what my father doesn't know won't hurt him," Nathan replied, meeting her gaze with a charming smirk of his own.

Haley's head whipped sharply to the side to stare at him. Was he actually flirting back?

Marcy grinned. "Clearly."

"So you're not going to say anything, right?" Nathan inquired in a cool voice.

"Well, it is a pretty big deal that you're in here—especially since the door is supposed to be locked," she stated.

"It's not my fault my father forgot. He is getting old, you know. And it was just a one-time thing."

Marcy pretended to think about it. "I guess I could keep your dirty little secret safe…if you do something for me."

Nathan tried to keep his expression nonchalant, but it didn't stop him from inwardly cringing. He could just imagine the angry thoughts going through Haley's head at the moment. Nathan caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. _Oh yeah, she looks pissed_, he noted.

Nathan tried to push Haley out of his mind for the moment, though. He had to focus on sweet talking Marcy. None of this could get back to Dan, or they'd really be screwed.

"Like what?" Nathan responded, sounding intrigued.

"I don't know yet. I'll have to think about it."

Haley's fists were clenched so tight that she could feel her fingernails digging into the palm of her hands. She couldn't believe the nerve of this skank talking to Nathan like that right in front of her. It made Haley want to walk over and slap her perfectly done up face. And Nathan's all too friendly behavior wasn't helping. She couldn't watch anymore of this.

"Nathan, I'll be outside," she said curtly and moved to leave.

"It was nice meeting you…Haley, was it?" Marcy commented as she passed by.

Haley gave her a tight smile. "You, too…I'm sorry, I forgot your name."

"Marcy."

"Marcy," Haley repeated. "What do you do here again?"

"I'm Nathan's father's secretary."

"Oh," she replied through clenched teeth. "Great."

Nathan ran a nervous hand through his hair as he watched the awkward and tense interaction between Haley and Marcy. He was starting to wonder if he'd have been better off with Dan catching them.

"And you are?" Marcy inquired.

Haley opened her mouth to answer before hesitating. _Damn this stupid charade._

She momentarily glanced back at Nathan. "No one. Excuse me."

Haley walked out the front door this time to her car. She'd parked towards the end of the lot, taking her cue from Nathan and Lucas who obviously didn't want to be caught. Haley could hear Nathan's footsteps following her not far behind. She unlocked the car for them.

"Where are we going?" she asked when they were both inside.

"Lucas's house. He'll take my car when Marcy leaves and meet us there."

She nodded wordlessly and started the engine. They were both silent as she drove back onto the main road.

Nathan watched Haley carefully. It wasn't hard to see that she was upset about everything that had happened tonight—especially with Marcy.

"Haley—" he began, breaking the silence.

"Don't," she warned, not taking her eyes off of the road.

"But I—"

"I really don't want to talk about it right now."

Not wanting to upset her even more, Nathan nodded and shut his mouth. Haley needed some time to cool off.

Several minutes later, they pulled up in front of Lucas's house. They both got out of the car and made their way to the front porch. Haley walked over to a flower pot and searched inside for the spare key. Karen was away for the weekend with Keith. And Haley didn't want to wait outside in the dark for Luke to catch up with them. So she took the key and unlocked the door to her best friend's bedroom like she'd done a hundred times before.

Haley sat on the bed while Nathan took the desk chair. He wanted so badly to be near Haley. To ease her mind about what had happened before. But she still didn't appear to be in a good mood, so he stayed where he was.

The door finally opened and Lucas walked in.

"Did you lock up and put the security system back on?" Nathan questioned.

"Yeah. I had to wait until she left and then disarmed and reset it before I left," Lucas explained. He glanced over at a silent Haley and raised an eyebrow at Nathan.

Nathan just shook his head and shrugged. Lucas took a tentative step towards Haley. "Are you okay, Hales?"

"Well, we got out of there unscathed," she said after another moment. "So why don't you guys tell me now what the hell you were doing and why you felt the need to lie about it."

"We were trying to find something of Dan's," Nathan declared. She said nothing and waited for him to continue. He sighed. "A couple of months back, I discovered that Dan's been laundering money from the dealership. He kept the cash in a duffel bag in the ceiling of his office. I found it one day.

"There was also a ledger. He used it to mark the transactions and keep track of them. I'd originally found some forged paperwork, but it wasn't enough evidence to tie Dan to the crime. This ledger was a sure way to do that," Nathan explained. "That's why Lucas and I went there tonight. We were hoping to get our hands on the cash and ledger."

"And do what with them?" Haley inquired.

"We were going to turn the evidence in and have his ass nailed to the wall," Lucas joined in. "He's been taking the money for years. It's a federal offense, and he could go away for a long time."

"Is that what you guys have been whispering about all this time? Is this your 'special project'?"

"Yes," Nathan answered with a nod. "It's our chance to finally be free of him—all of us."

"But you didn't get it tonight," she pointed out.

"I know," Nathan muttered. "He must've moved it."

"So now you've got nothing. It was all for nothing."

Lucas shook his head. "No. Now we've got a little more digging to do. He has to be stashing the evidence somewhere. We're not giving up."

Both Lucas and Nathan watched Haley carefully. They'd expected her to yell at them as soon as she got them alone. It's what Nathan would've preferred. He needed to know what she was thinking. Her silence was driving him crazy.

"You asked me about that lock trick so you could get into Dan's office, didn't you?" Haley eventually questioned, her eyes boring into Nathan's. "Why didn't you tell me? What was with all of the secrecy?"

Lucas looked to Nathan, and he knew that he better take this one. "I wanted to tell you, Hales," Nathan declared. "I really did. But I wasn't sure if I'd be able to pull this off. I didn't want to give you false hope, and then take it away. You've had enough to deal with."

"Yeah, because being in the dark is so much easier," she muttered sarcastically.

"Haley—"

"Save it, okay. If you really wanted to do the right thing, then you would've told me."

"I—" he tried to speak but was interrupted again.

"Yes, I may have a lot going on. But a large part of the reason why I'm so stressed is because of this whole situation with Dan and thinking that there's no way out," she told him, her voice rising. "I can't tell you how many nights I've cried myself to sleep worrying about you and me and our future! I suffer everyday through our pretend separation and private tutoring and Clean Teens. And when I think of college, I want so badly to go to Stanford. But even though you said you'd consider it, I know deep down that it will never happen. Even if you did want to go, Dan would never let you."

"Haley—" He took a step towards her, but she moved back.

"Now to find out that there may have been a way out this whole time and you didn't feel the need to tell me hurts!" she exclaimed. "And you, Luke, you're supposed to be my best friend. You know how worried I've been and yet you plan a B & E behind my back. How could you lie to my face like that?"

"I thought that—"

"Well, you thought wrong! The both of you!" Haley shouted angrily and headed for the door.

"Haley, please don't leave," Lucas pleaded.

She yanked the door open, regardless, and turned around to face them one last time. "By the way, Nathan, Marcy seems really great. Funny how you never mentioned her either."

Nathan and Lucas both winced as the door slammed loudly behind her. After a moment of stunned silence, they looked at each other and sighed. That had definitely not gone well.

~***~

"So I'm thinking of throwing a party before the semi-finals start up," Brooke declared.

Peyton laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"What? It'll be fun," the brunette defended. "I mean, I'm sure everyone's going to be tense. It's our last year to go all the way to the state championship. Once the seniors leave, it'll probably all go to hell."

"Well, you know I'll come."

"Duh. I need a good DJ."

"I love how you just assume without asking me," Peyton said as she placed her books in her locker.

"Please, like you've ever refused me before," Brooke scoffed.

"I guess that's true," she said with a shrug. "What about you, Haley? Will you be able to ditch the Clean Teens and come? Haley?"

Brooke snapped her fingers in front of her face. "Tutor Girl."

"Huh?" Haley asked.

"Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah. Sorry. I guess I zoned out for a moment there."

"It's nice to know we're not boring you," Peyton teased.

"You're not," Haley denied. "I'm just a little out of it today."

"It's Monday. Who isn't?" Brooke muttered. "Although, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually glad I could come to school today."

"Okay, well, I guess hell has finally frozen over," Peyton joked.

"I'm serious. Anything is better than how I spent my weekend."

"You're sure you're doing better?" Haley questioned.

"Positive."

"What about you? I heard you weren't feeling that well and had to miss the game on Saturday," Brooke said. "Did you catch something, too?"

Haley hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. Her weekend had been absolutely horrible. Her stomach had been in knots ever since her big fight with Lucas and Nathan on Friday night. She was beyond pissed that they'd lied and kept things from her—especially when they involved Dan's illegal activities.

A part of her was infuriated that they felt that she didn't need to know about their plans. Were they really trying to protect her or were they just afraid that she'd talk them out of it? They could've gotten in so much trouble if they'd been caught by the wrong person in that office. Haley didn't even want to fathom what Dan would've done then.

The other part of her was disappointed. She trusted the both of them. Haley had always felt like it was her and Lucas against the world. Now that she was with Nathan, she felt the same way about him. All they had was each other during this hard time. In a way, Haley was a little envious that Nathan had felt the kind of relief that she'd longed for. There was possibly a way to get Dan out of their lives forever. That information was a blessing but also a source of power. After the strenuous months she'd endured, Haley could've used some good news.

Then there was Marcy. That was the icing on the cake. Nathan talked about his job at the dealership, but he had never once mentioned her. It wasn't the fact that he'd been working with another woman, who also happened to be extremely attractive, that bothered her. It was the fact that she seemed to be totally enamored by him, and Nathan didn't do a thing to stop it.

The woman had the audacity to flirt with him right in front of her. And what did Nathan do? Nothing! He just fed into it even more. That, without a doubt, set Haley over the edge. If he hid everything about Dan and kept Marcy a secret, then what else was he not telling her? The possibilities made her sick.

Needless to say, Haley couldn't face either Nathan or Lucas the next day. And the last thing she felt like doing was cheering when she was in such an awful mood. So she called Peyton and let her know that she wasn't going to be able to make it to the game. She hadn't told her any specifics. Instead, Haley said that she wasn't feeling well and thought it'd be best if she stayed home.

Nathan and Lucas had called her a number of times after that, but she wouldn't answer. She needed some time to cool down and think about things. Unfortunately, it was now three days later and she could still feel the anger running through her. It just wouldn't go away. Haley had even left the house early today to dodge Nathan and their tutoring session. She'd texted him the night before and said she wouldn't be able to make it. Of course he texted back that he was coming anyway.

"Haley?" Brooke interrupted, trying to get her attention again.

"I'm fine." Neither Peyton nor Brooke looked convinced. "Really. I'm just overtired."

Peyton shrugged. "If that's your story."

"Hello, ladies," Jake greeted and kissed her.

"What's going down in the hiz house, my peeps?"

"Just say 'what's up,' Tim," Brooke said with an annoyed roll of her eyes.

Haley ignored their banter and focused on avoiding the eyes of Nathan and Lucas, who were standing behind them.

"Before you guys start going into some kind of sports or basketball rant about things we neither know nor care about, I just want to let you boys know that I'm throwing a party before the semi finals," Brooke announced.

"Sweet!" Tim exclaimed. "I'm bringing the keg."

"Just make sure it's filled with alcohol this time, Tim. Root beer is not the same as actual beer."

"Hey, it was an honest mistake. I thought it was a new brand."

"Whatever. Don't screw it up again," Brooke warned.

"Who's in charge of the music?" Lucas asked.

"That'd be me," Peyton spoke up.

"But feel free to contribute," Brooke added. "It'll help me out a lot."

"I'll see what I can do." Lucas then looked to Haley. "Hey, uh, I was wondering if you could spare a minute? We need to talk."

"I can't. I have to meet up with Shelley."

"It'll only take a—"

"I've got to go," Haley rushed out. She looked to the rest of the group, still not glancing at Nathan. "I'll see you guys later," she said and took off.

"What was that about?" Brooke muttered with a frown.

"Nothing," Nathan spoke up.

"That didn't sound like nothing," Peyton added.

Lucas shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"Did something happen between you and Tutor Girl?" Brooke prodded.

"No," Lucas said. But Nathan could hear the strain in his voice. "I've got to go."

Brooke folded her arms and glared at Nathan. "Okay, what the hell is going on?"

"Nothing. I've got to go, too," he hastily declared and took off down the hall. Haley was bad enough. He didn't need the wrath of Brooke unleashed on him, too.

~***~

Haley, despite the tiny voice in the back of her head pleading with her to turn around in the opposite direction, walked up to Shelley at her locker.

"Hi, Haley," Shelley greeted her.

"Hi."

She nodded to the person next to her. "You remember Chase, right?" she questioned with an impish smile.

Haley ignored it and smiled politely at Chase. "Yeah, hi."

"Hey, Haley," he replied.

"Chase and I were just about to go to the library. Did you want to join us?"

"Um, sure. I have a free period now." It's not like she had anything else to do.

"Excellent!" she beamed.

As they made their way through the busy hallway to the library, Haley found herself becoming anxious. They were headed in the direction she'd previously come from. And it was just her luck that Nathan happened to be walking right towards them.

Out of the corner of her eye, Haley noticed Shelley watching her. Usually Haley was annoyed by the fact that she was always being spied on. But this time she didn't care. She had bigger issues to worry about. It was the first time Haley was truly mad at Nathan. No need to pretend now.

Haley could feel Nathan's gaze on her as they got closer. She kept staring straight ahead, completely ignoring him. She felt him pass by her and did her best to dodge having any direct contact with him.

"Wow, Haley, I'm impressed."

Haley was snapped out of her angry thoughts and turned to Shelley. "Huh?"

"That was a very nice form of the cold shoulder you just gave Nathan," she pointed out.

"I'm glad you liked it," she muttered dryly.

"So, what finally changed your mind about him?"

"Nothing."

"You can tell us. We're your friends, after all. Right, Chase?"

Chase nodded a little sheepishly and gave Haley a sympathetic smile. She could tell that he didn't want to put her on the spot like Shelley was doing at the moment.

"Nothing happened," Haley repeated.

"I beg to differ. It's obvious that something has. As much as I wish you were, you're not always that hostile towards him."

Haley shrugged wordlessly, praying that Shelley would just drop the topic. She wasn't that lucky.

"Let me take a guess. You just found out that he's dating some skank, right?"

Haley felt her whole body tense up. _It wasn't exactly that_, she thought. An image of Marcy and Nathan flirting popped into her head. _Okay, so close enough. _

Shelley picked up on the change immediately. "That's it, isn't it?"

Haley sighed. This girl was like a dog with a bone. "I don't know. Maybe."

Shelley scoffed. "That figures."

"I haven't heard of him dating anyone," Chase chimed in. Haley would've been grateful for the gesture if she wasn't so confused at the moment.

"Well, maybe 'dating' is too strong a word," Shelley conceded.

"You don't really know him, though."

"Look, Chase, I know that you're new here. But there are just some things that are set in stone. And one of them is that Nathan Scott is the biggest jackass/womanizer in this school. He's never going to change."

"You don't know that," Haley found herself arguing. Even though she was angry with Nathan, he was still her boyfriend—secretly, at least. It's not like she wanted to hear someone bad mouthing him.

"Yes, I do. I've had way too much experience with his kind. They can't be trusted," Shelley declared while giving her a serious look. "Guys like that, no matter how charming or nice they may seem, will always revert back to their true nature."


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Nathan rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. He'd had the day from hell, and it wasn't getting any better. He stared at the mountain of papers sitting on his desk. His father wanted him to shred a few more stacks. Nathan could feel his blood boil just looking at them.

It was all here. All the evidence that Dan had been embezzling money from his own dealership. And none of it was usable. At least not yet. Not without that damn ledger. He and Lucas had decided to take turns each night spying on Dan. Even then Nathan wasn't sure they'd have much luck. His frustration was at an all-time high.

The semi-finals would also be taking place in a couple of weeks. It would be his last chance to earn a championship for the Ravens. Dan was constantly on his back. It was pressure at a whole new level. "Everything depends on this," his father kept saying.

Then there was the issue of college. Each day his father demanded that he make a decision. And by decision, he meant Duke. That was a whole other set of problems for Nathan. Above everything else that was causing chaos in his life, there was his big fight with Haley. Never in a million years did Nathan believe that one tiny girl could have such a huge impact on his life. It scared him how much he loved Haley. Sometimes it felt like he couldn't breathe without her. But even greater than the fear of needing her too much was the fear of losing her completely.

He'd hurt her last Friday night. Nathan knew that. He'd tried apologizing a million times over the weekend, but Haley would never talk to him. Today at school was no different. Nathan would be lying if he didn't admit that her ignoring him hadn't affected him. Even worse, Haley had completely skipped their tutoring session that morning. Sure, she'd texted him to cancel. But he told her he'd come, regardless. Nathan had at least been hoping to talk to her. Even if they didn't get a chance to go down to the docks for their daily lesson. Haley, of course, was a step ahead of him. Her mom had told him that she'd already left for school. So his plans to apologize and work things out with her had been shot to hell.

He could never catch a damn break.

"Nathan, are you working or daydreaming?" a sharp voice cut into his thoughts.

Nathan looked up do see his father staring at him disapprovingly. "What?"

Dan snorted. "That's what I thought. Get back to work."

Nathan glared at Dan's retreating figure as he walked back into his office. He was going to enjoy keeping an eye on him tonight. It wasn't much, but it was something. Nathan had to keep going and staying on his father's trail. Not only did it keep him on a level playing field, but it also served to satisfy that part deep down inside of him screaming for a way to break free.

Nathan looked at the clock on his desk. He still had a couple of hours left before his shift was done. It didn't help that he was exhausted. Nathan yawned and got up to walk to the employee's lounge. He needed some coffee if he was going to finish up his hours and stay later to watch Dan.

"You look tired today. Late night?"

Nathan continued to pour his coffee without turning around. He already knew that voice. He felt a sense of dread build within him. "Sort of."

Marcy stood beside him and grabbed the coffee pot when he was done. "Let me guess, you brought another one of your girlfriends back here last night and made out on one of the show cars."

"Wow. You caught me," he deadpanned and looked around to make sure that no one was around. The room was empty aside from them. "That's exactly what I was doing."

"Well, I used to have a wild side." She laughed. "Oh, who am I kidding? I still do."

"Good for you," Nathan mumbled while stirring sugar into his coffee.

"Speaking of, I have an idea about how you can pay me back for keeping your little secret."

Nathan avoided her gaze and stared at his cup like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "What is it?"

"You can tell that girl you were with how lucky she is."

Nathan's head snapped up in surprise. "What?"

"I saw the way you looked at her when she left your dad's office. I may not know you all that well, but I can see that you've got it bad for her," Marcy stated. "She wouldn't happen to be that girl you were hung up on before, would she?"

"I…what…how did you—" Nathan tripped over his words. This was not the turn he'd expected this conversation to take.

"I guess you could say I've got a sixth sense about these things," she said, shrugging.

Nathan sighed in defeat. There was no use keeping up pretenses anymore. "Yeah, Haley is that girl," he admitted.

"She's very pretty."

"She's beautiful," he corrected.

Marcy smiled. "Oh yeah, you're a total goner."

"What can I say? I love her," Nathan declared.

"Even after she dumped you?"

"That's not exactly what happened," he muttered in a low voice.

"What did happen, then?"

Nathan paused for a moment. He still wasn't sure how much he should tell Marcy or if he could trust her. But then again, she knew something was going on between him and Haley. What if he didn't tell her and she started asking Dan questions?

"We never broke up to begin with," Nathan said, going with the truth.

_I might as well put it all out there_, he thought.

"Really?"

Nathan shook his head. "The truth is my father didn't want me with her. He thinks my whole life should be about basketball and impressing the college scouts," he explained. "When he found out how serious Haley and I were, he forbid me to see her."

"So why didn't you just tell him no?" she asked curiously.

"Come on, you know my father. Does he ever take no for an answer?"

Marcy grinned wryly. "No."

"Then you can guess why we stayed together and kept it a secret."

"So you've still been dating this whole time?"

"Yeah."

"Is Dan the only one who thinks you're not together?"

"No. Everyone at our school thinks we're over, too. Only our close friends and a few others know the truth," Nathan clarified. "We didn't want to chance anything getting back to my dad."

"It sounds like a very well thought out plan."

"Look, Marcy, it's really important that you don't—" Nathan began.

"I won't say anything," she promised.

"You won't?"

She shook her head. "I'm pretty good at keeping my mouth shut." She stared at him for a moment. "You look surprised."

"I'm not," Nathan quickly denied.

"Yes, you are. You've got that look for a reason."

"It's just…" Nathan trailed off, trying to find the right words. "It's just that I could've sworn you were…"

"I was what?"

"I thought you were in to me or something," he said kind of sheepishly. "I mean, you would always flirt with me and stuff."

"Well, you are young and hot," she teased. Nathan smirked a little and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "But I tend to be a flirt by nature. I didn't really mean anything serious by it."

"And on Friday?"

Marcy smiled. "I was just messing with you. I thought the whole situation was actually kind of funny." Her expression turned a little guilty. "I hope I didn't get you into any trouble with Haley. I realized afterward how she might've interpreted it."

Nathan grimaced at the memory. "She's not happy. We, uh, we had a big fight. She hasn't talked to me in a few days."

"Oh, Nathan, I'm so sorry," Marcy apologized. "I could talk to her if that would help."

"It wasn't just that. She's mad at me for something else—although the flirting between us didn't help."

"Why did you flirt back, by the way?" she questioned, intrigued. "You never have before."

"Honestly, I was hoping that I could charm you into not saying anything to my dad," Nathan revealed. "So I kind of just went along with it."

"Smart move," she teased.

Nathan chuckled. "Not really."

"Well, don't worry. You've charmed me into silence."

"Thanks, Marcy."

"No problem."

"I better get back to my desk before my dad kills me," he announced. "I'll talk to you later."

"Nathan," Marcy called to him before he left.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering, just out of curiosity, if you weren't with Haley, did I at least have a shot?"

Nathan knew that she was only kidding and smirked back. "Not for a second."

~***~

Haley opened the door to the roof at Karen's Café and breathed in the cool air. It was only early March, but she could feel the change in temperature. Spring would be coming soon. Haley welcomed it. She was sick of being cold. They'd had an unnaturally chilly winter this year.

Haley checked the time on her cell phone. She had a half hour break before she had to go back downstairs and finish her shift. She walked over to the rack of golf clubs and picked one up. She might as well play some miniature golf to pass the time. If she stayed still, her mind would replay everything that had happened earlier that day. That was the last thing that she wanted. Haley needed a distraction.

She focused all of her attention on sinking the tiny golf ball into the hole. It worked at first. She made her shots and completely forgot about all of the craziness going on in her life. That is until she heard the roof door open.

Haley turned her head, expecting to see Karen. Her whole body stiffened when she noticed that it was Nathan, instead. Much to her dismay, she felt a sense of sadness shoot through her at how awful he looked. His hair was messy—probably from running his hands through it all evening. There were little circles under his eyes. Others most likely wouldn't notice, but Haley knew every contour and feature of his face. It's how she also noticed his expression of sorrow and regret as he stared at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you. I needed to see you." He took a few steps closer, lessening the distance between them. Nathan eyed the club she was gripping in her hands. "You're not going to hit me, are you?"

"I'm thinking about it," she mumbled.

"I guess I deserve that."

Haley sighed. "What do you want, Nathan?"

"I want us to talk and work this out."

"I already heard it all on Friday. There's nothing left to say."

"Yeah, there is," he gently disagreed. "You're hurting, Hales, and I'm sorry for that. I really am."

"I'm a big girl. I can handle it."

Nathan discretely shook his head. She could be so damn stubborn when she wanted to be. "You shouldn't have to handle anything—not alone."

"It's a little too late for that, don't you think?"

"No, it's not." He took another step toward her.

"Don't," Haley warned. She couldn't deal with him touching her right now. She'd been teetering on the edge of breaking down all day. Now was not the time Haley wanted to become emotional.

Nathan ignored her plea and walked closer. He was less than a foot away from her. "I'm sorry, Haley. I should've told you about Dan. I know that. But I was just trying to protect you."

"Lying doesn't protect me, Nathan," she stated. "In fact, it does just the opposite. It hurts me and, frankly, pisses me off."

"I was going to tell you, Hales, when we had something. But what can I say? I screwed up." He stood right in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he wouldn't let go. "There are a lot of nights when I lie awake worrying about you, too."

"I don't want you to worry, Nathan. I want you to let me in," Haley explained while meeting his gaze. "Yes, I'm tired. Yes, I'm stressed and sick of pretending. And yes, I want Dan to be out of our lives. But the only reason why I'm able to get up and deal with it everyday is because I thought that we were in this together."

"We are, Hales."

"Well, it doesn't feel like it." Haley looked away from him when she felt her eyes starting to water. She needed to get herself under control. "I hate it when you keep things from me, Nathan. I can see when you're trying to hold back. You don't think that makes me anxious or upset, either?"

Nathan looked away, ashamed. "I didn't know that you noticed," he whispered.

"Of course I did. Maybe you can get away with hiding your emotions from other people, but not with me, Nathan Scott," Haley said in a stern voice. "Your moods have been like a roller coaster lately. Sometimes you're sad and depressed. Other times you seem happy and hopeful. I've been trying to figure it out."

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

"Or, you know, maybe your mood swings have to do with your unrequited love for Marcy," she bit out sarcastically.

"Okay, let me straighten this out now," Nathan declared. He could only imagine the type of conclusions she'd thought up. Nathan brought his hand to her face and directed her gaze to his. "There is absolutely nothing going on between Marcy and me. _Nothing_."

"Is that why you never mentioned her and then flirted with her right in front of me? I mean, is that a regular thing for the two of you around the office?" she questioned while trying to push him away. But Nathan wasn't having it. His hand on her face and the one around her waist only tightened.

"No, it's not a regular thing. I mean, yeah, she used to try to flirt with me," he stated honestly.

Haley scoffed. "That's just great."

"But I never flirted back. And the only reason I did it on Friday was because I was afraid she'd go and tell my dad about us," he explained. "I thought that I could try and distract her from the situation."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Well, good job, because she looked plenty distracted."

"It didn't mean anything."

"It did to me."

"Hales, come on, you know that I love you. You think some woman at work that means nothing to me is going to come between that? If it were any other time, you know that's not how I would've acted."

"I don't really know anything right now."

"Yes, you do." Nathan rested his forehead on hers. "I love you—so much." He kissed her lips softly.

A second later, he felt a droplet on his hand. He pulled back to look at Haley. The unshed tears that had been building in her eyes were beginning to fall. He brought her more into his arms and held her. Nathan rubbed her back and stroked her hair. He hated when she cried—especially when he was the cause of her tears.

"What's the matter?" he asked in a low voice. She shook her head against his chest. "Is it the Marcy thing?" She shrugged.

Nathan sighed. He felt like such a jerk. He needed to say something to make her feel better. "I told Marcy about you when I first started working at the dealership."

Her only response was a sniffle.

"Of course, at the time, I told her that you were my ex-girlfriend and that you broke my heart. I didn't want to tell the truth and have her mentioning something to Dan," Nathan explained and then paused for a moment. "But when I saw her today, I told her everything. I told her about Dan and how he's tried to keep us apart. And I told her about how we're still seeing each other."

"I told her I loved you," he added.

"What did she say?" Haley questioned quietly, her voice muffled by his chest.

"She said that I had it bad and that you were lucky to have me. And that she was just joking with me about the flirting."

"And you believe that?"

"Yeah, I do. She's not a bad person, Hales. Hell, she even apologized and offered to talk to you to make things better."

"I think I'll pass," she muttered.

Nathan chuckled. "That's fine. But my point is that it'll never happen again. You don't have to worry."

Haley lifted her head up to look at him. "She'll never do it again or you'll never do it again?"

"Both," he assured her while wiping away the tear tracks on her cheeks.

Haley silently nodded. She was still kind of emotional about everything, but the sincerity and honesty in Nathan's voice and eyes were slowly putting her fears to rest.

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" he questioned hopefully.

She nodded again. "Yes."

"Thank you." He kissed her tenderly, deeply.

"But no more secrets. Okay?" she reinforced.

"No more secrets," he promised. "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Definitely. It sucks being on your bad side, James."

Haley laughed. "Then be good."

"Hey, I'm trying."

She gave him a small smile and checked her phone. "Crap. I have to get back downstairs."

"When is your shift over?"

"Another hour."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to do something with me. But I guess you're busy."

"Do what?" she asked curiously.

"It's my turn to watch Dan tonight. I thought maybe you would want to be in on the action?"

"Watch him. How?" she asked curiously.

Nathan reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out something that looked like an iPod.

"What's that?"

"Since Dan moved the evidence, Lucas and I need to figure out where he put it. It was pure luck that I caught him with that stuff the first time."

"So?"

"So he stays late at work a lot. And that's when he usually does his dirty dealings. But I can't really stay in the building, since I'll probably get caught." He lifted up the object in his hand. "That's where this comes in."

"What is it?"

"Lucas and I managed to get this little video camera. I snuck it Dan's office the other day. This right here is a little screen where we can watch. It'll pick up anything the camera sees as long as it's within a one-mile radius of the thing."

"Does it record the footage?"

"No. That's why one of us has been staying near the area each night watching him."

"So tonight it's your turn," Haley concluded.

"Yeah."

"I feel like I just entered a James Bond movie or something," she joked.

"James Bond is awesome." Nathan smirked. "He always gets the girl."

"Well, unfortunately, this girl has to work. Sorry."

"It's okay. I figured as much."

"But thank you for telling me," she stated before brushing her lips against his.

When she started to break away, Nathan pulled her tighter against him. He wasn't quite ready to let her go yet. He'd barely had any contact with her for days. Nathan groaned softly into her mouth when Haley's tongue started to tease his. Damn, he'd missed this.

"Whoa, I guess you two made up."

The pair quickly broke apart. They relaxed a second later when they realized it was only Lucas.

"Oh, it's you," Nathan mumbled, disgruntled.

"It's nice to see you, too, bro," Lucas said with an amused grin. "It looks like we had the same idea. Although mine didn't really include sucking face with her."

"If it did, you'd be dead," he replied menacingly.

Haley couldn't help but laugh. It was so obvious Nathan was irritated by the interruption. She was a little, too, but it would've happened soon anyway. Her break was almost over.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Lucas reminded him.

Nathan glared at him before glancing at Haley. "I'll see you tomorrow for tutoring," she reassured him.

"Fine," he sighed and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Later, Luke."

"Bye."

"So, what's up with you now?"

"Nothing much. I guess it's just the encore of the Scott Brothers' Apology Tour," Lucas joked.

"Well, I've got five minutes before I need to go back downstairs," Haley declared. "Make it quick, loser."


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

"Damn it, I know that I'm forgetting something! What am I forgetting?"

"I don't know."

"It's something."

"Probably."

"But what is it?"

"I have no idea."

"P. Sawyer, Tutor Girl, you guys are not helping!"

"Brooke, it's your party. Only you know what you need," Peyton pointed out.

Brooke's eyes suddenly lit up. "I got it!"

"What was it?" Haley questioned.

"Crap, I just forgot."

Peyton shook her head at her. "You are so weird, B. Davis."

"Eh, I'll remember later."

"Good for you. Can we please go now? We're going to be late," Haley stated.

"Haley, it's study hall. What are we going to be late for?" Brooke replied.

"You know that Mr. Fargus always gives people detention when they're not on time."

"Oh, the horror," Peyton teased.

"Whatever, you slackers, let's go," she urged and led the way.

"Relax, Tutor Girl. Your transcript will remain flawless."

They walked through the doors to the library where their study hall would be that day. "See, right on time," Peyton declared.

"Only because I had to drag your asses here."

"Who cares?" Brooke said. "We have more pressing matters to discuss."

"Like?" Peyton prodded.

"Haley, you're coming to the party tomorrow night, right? I still haven't gotten an answer from you yet."

Haley shrugged. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean that I don't know. I've got tutoring, a Clean Teen meeting, and then a shift at Karen's. I probably won't be done until ten o'clock."

"That's fine. The party will be full blown by then. It starts at nine."

"I—"

"Is it because of Nathan and Lucas?" Peyton interrupted. "Is that why you don't want to go?"

"What about Nathan and Lucas?"

"Weren't you mad at them about something?" Brooke added.

"Guys, that was, like, last week. We're good now," Haley told them. Ever since Nathan and then Lucas apologized, things had been a lot better. The secret they shared about Dan had actually brought the three of them closer.

"What were you mad about, by the way? We never found out."

Haley looked between the both of them and shrugged casually. "Nothing important." She felt awful for lying to them. That's the whole reason why she was angry with Lucas and Nathan in the first place. But she knew that this thing with Dan wasn't just some trivial piece of information or gossip. It was serious stuff that had to be kept secret no matter what.

Plus, they weren't as directly affected by the Dan situation like she was. It's not like they weren't allowed to see their boyfriends or anything like that. It wasn't their futures that were hanging in the balance. What Nathan and Lucas were doing now would have an impact on her. She knew that Brooke and Peyton would never say anything. But sometimes things could get screwed up no matter how many precautions were taken. Haley just couldn't jeopardize that.

"You sure? You looked really pissed," Peyton said.

Haley nodded. "Yeah, it's fine."

"Fine. Now come to the party," Brooke demanded.

"Tigger, I can—"

"Do not say you can't, Tutor Girl. It's our senior year. It's the last time we'll be able to do this again. You have to come," Brooke proclaimed forcefully. "Live a little!"

Haley felt Brooke's eyes burning a hole into her own. "Okay, fine. I'll come," she relented. "But it will not be my fault if I'm dead tired and don't feel like doing anything."

"That's fine. Just as long as you're there."

Haley rolled her eyes, causing Peyton to laugh. "Anyone ever tell you that you're really bossy?"

The brunette smiled and shrugged. "I take it as a compliment."

"You would."

~***~

The music was pounding. The house was packed. And people were knocking back shots like it was going out of style. Nathan stood in the living room, surveying the scene. His friends were all scattered. Peyton was in charge of the music along with the help of Jake. Lucas was in the kitchen placing out more paper cups while Tim mixed drinks. Then Brooke and Kat were off running around the house making sure that nothing expensive was being broken.

Nathan sighed. He hadn't been to a party in the longest time, and now suddenly wondered why he was ever into it in the first place. It surprised him, but he was actually bored.

"Hey, look, guys, Nathan Scott has finally decided to grace us with his presence," Jabar shouted as he and a few other teammates approached him. They all bumped fists in greeting.

"Where the hell you been, man?" Ted questioned. "Aside from school and the basketball court, you've been completely M.I.A at these things."

"I haven't really had time to party," he said with a shrug.

"Why not?"

"My dad's been having me train 24/7. Hell, I had to sneak out of the damn house to come here tonight." He was practically on house arrest, what with the first game of the semi-finals beginning tomorrow night.

Dustin shook his head. "Dude, that sucks."

"Nathan, long time no see!" Nicki shouted with Theresa in tow.

Nathan inwardly groaned at their appearance. He couldn't stand Nicki or Theresa. He hadn't had much contact with them at all over the last few months, and he'd preferred it that way.

"Oh my God, you will never guess who's here," Theresa said, her words coming out a bit slurred.

"Who, babe?" Dustin replied.

"Haley and those freakish Clean Teens."

"No way," said Ted in disbelief.

"No, she's right. There's, like, a whole group of them here. What losers," Nicki laughed. "I mean, what the hell are they going to do?"

Nathan's eyes immediately scanned the room in search of Haley. He knew that she was going to try to come to the party, but he didn't know that she'd be bringing a group with her.

"Excuse me," Nathan said and quickly made his way through the crowd. He had to see this for himself.

~***~

Haley pushed through various people in search of Brooke. The brunette wasn't kidding when she said the party would be alive and kicking by ten o'clock. She eventually made her way into the kitchen.

"Luke," she called to him.

"Hey, Hales," he greeted and gave her a hug. "I'm glad that you could make it."

"Have you seen Brooke?"

"She's around somewhere."

"Haley, you want a drink?" Tim offered. "I came up with this new recipe. It's so good. It'll definitely put hair on your chest."

Remembering the last time she'd drank alcohol, Haley shuddered and shook her head. "No thanks, Tim."

"You want a soda then?"

"Sure, thanks." He got her a can and handed it to her.

"Where's Peyton?" Haley questioned.

"She's still working the music," Jake answered as he joined them.

"You need a drink?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, two. But nothing too strong."

Tim sulked. "Fine."

"I just got a text message from Brooke," Lucas said after checking his phone. "She and Kat will be here in a minute."

"Good. I need to talk to her."

"Is everything okay?"

Haley smiled guiltily. "Not exactly."

"Tutor Girl, you've got some explaining to do!" Brooke's loud voice proclaimed as she stomped into the kitchen.

Haley flinched. She knew this was coming.

"Hi, Brooke, nice to see you, too," she said wryly.

"What the hell is that cult doing here?"

"I swear that I tried to talk them out of it, but I couldn't shake them."

"How did they even find out about my party anyway?"

"Well, the whole school knows, Brooke," Jake pointed out.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. What or _who _gave them the idea that they were actually invited?"

Haley bit her lip. "Don't be mad. They wanted me to go out with them tonight after our meeting, but I told them I couldn't. Then, before I even thought about it, I let it slip that I was going to this party. The next thing I know they're all piling into mine and Shelley's cars to come here."

"Great. Just great."

"I'm so sorry, Brooke," Haley apologized. "I couldn't talk them out of it. You think I want Shelley here breathing down my neck all night?"

"This sucks," Brooke pouted.

Lucas wrapped an arm around her. "Cheery, it's fine. There are a lot of other people here. You probably won't even notice them."

"Haley!" someone bellowed. "Haley."

Haley groaned when she recognized the voice as Shelley's.

Brooke gave Lucas a look. "You were saying?"

"Damn, her voice can cut glass," Kat commented.

"Crap. I have to go. If I'm lucky, I'll see you guys later." Haley gave them a small wave and walked back into the living room to face her doom.

~***~

"Beer?"

Nathan shook his head. "Maybe later." He was in the kitchen with Tim. He'd been searching for Haley for a good twenty minutes and still couldn't find her. There were just too many people. Everyone seemed to blend together. The Clean Teen shirts weren't hard to spot, but none of the people wearing them were Haley.

"You okay, Nate? You look kind of tense."

"I'm just frustrated. I've been looking for Haley, but I can't find her."

"Well, she's here. I talked to her not too long ago."

Nathan perked up at that. "You did?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know where she is?"

"No. She took off when Shelley called her. I don't know where they went."

Nathan groaned in agitation. "Damn it." He held out his hand. "On second thought, I think I'll take that beer."

Tim smirked. "I thought so."

"Shut up," he snapped with a roll of his eyes.

"Someone's cranky," Tim mumbled.

Nathan just gave him a look and took a swig from the bottle. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Later, Nate Dogg."

Nathan made his way out of the kitchen and into the hallway. He checked the dining room again. Still no Haley. He checked Brooke's father's study. Again, no Haley. Finally, he made his way into the packed living room. Nothing. He was just about to head upstairs when his eyes landed on the makeshift dance floor.

_What the hell?_

Nathan's eyes widened in shock at first. He blinked them a couple of times to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating. When the scene before him remained the same, he felt his jaw clench and his fists tighten. He couldn't believe this.

"Damn," someone said next to him. Nathan looked over to see that it was Ted. Of course the rest of the group was with him, staring. Nathan's eyes narrowed when he noticed that Adam was presently among them. They'd managed to stay away from each other at all costs. Now was a horrible time for that to change.

"She doesn't look all that clean to me," Nicki sneered as Theresa let out a drunken giggle.

"Wow, Nate, that sucks," Adam commented with a shit-eating grin. "I guess those Clean Teen guys aren't a bunch of pansies, after all."

Nathan glared at him, seething, before looking back at the dance floor. It took everything in him to not march right over there and pummel that unknown Clean Teen bastard. Not only was he dancing with Haley, but his hands were all over her. And much to Nathan's chagrin, Shelley wasn't saying a damn thing about it. She would have a coronary if Nathan so much as looked at Haley in the hallway. Why wasn't she calling out this guy?

_Just who does that prick think he is? _He vaguely remembered Haley telling him about Shelley's plan to set her up with someone. _Is that the guy?_

"It looks like they won't be virgins for much longer," Theresa snickered, making the group laugh.

Nathan's hand tightened. The next thing he knew, the beer bottle he was holding had shattered to pieces.

"Whoa, what the fuck, Nate?" Jabar exclaimed as they all jumped back in surprise. A few people next to them whipped around to see what the commotion was about.

"Nathan, what the hell?" Brooke questioned, rushing up to him. "Look at this mess. Are you okay?"

Lucas was right behind her. "Shit, you're bleeding. Is there any glass in your hand?"

"I'm fine," Nathan gritted out.

"Let me—"

He pulled his hand away. "It's nothing. I can take care of myself."

"Why don't you go upstairs to my bathroom?" Brooke suggested while eying him skeptically. "There's some alcohol and bandages up there."

"Okay."

"Do you want me to—" Lucas started to offer.

"No. I got it," Nathan mumbled and took off. He didn't want to stay in the room anyway.

~***~

Haley tried to act like she was having a good time as she danced to the music. She knew that people were watching them and whispering. They were no doubt shocked that Cleat Teens could actually dance. They weren't seen as just another club in the school. To everyone else, they were practically another species. Even now Haley felt like she was some kind of animal at the zoo being examined behind the glass in her natural habitat. Some people really needed to get a hobby.

"Aw, you two look so cute," Shelley gushed.

Haley fought the urge to roll her eyes and tell the blonde to just shut up. When Shelley had first suggested that they all dance, Haley hadn't been opposed to it. It beat just standing around and hearing Shelley rant about all of the delinquents surrounding them. Haley had wanted to tell her that she shouldn't have shown up at the party in the first place if she didn't like the atmosphere. But yet again, she held her tongue and played her roll of the dutiful little Clean Teen.

Somehow during their dancing, Haley had ended up next to Chase. All of the others in their group had paired up. It was then that Shelley took the opportunity to suggest that she and Chase dance together. "Then everyone would have someone, and it'd be perfect," she had beamed.

Haley had been very reluctant at first. She knew that Nathan was walking around somewhere. She'd been discretely searching for him all night. But when Chase had given her his shy, embarrassed smile, Haley didn't see the harm in just one dance. It's not like he was forcing her or anything. In fact, Chase looked every bit as uncomfortable as she felt.

So she'd gone along with it. Eventually they were able to loosen up with one another and have fun. To her surprise, Haley was actually starting to enjoy herself. That was until she felt Chase place his hands on her waist. He hadn't crossed the line or done anything inappropriate. Haley was sure that the gesture was innocent. However, she couldn't help feeling a wave of sadness hit her in that moment. Chase was nice and polite. He was a good dancer. Haley even considered him a friend. He just wasn't the person who should be dancing with her right now. His hands weren't the ones she wanted or needed to be touching her. He wasn't Nathan.

Haley looked around the room, once again, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. She found herself extremely disappointed when he was still no where in sight. She was just about to return her focus on Chase when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Brooke was waving to her.

Haley waved back and frowned when the brunette shook her head. "Come here," she mouthed.

"Um, Chase, could you excuse me for a minute," Haley said loudly into his ear, trying to be heard over the blaring music.

"Sure. Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I just need to check on something."

He nodded. "Okay."

"Where are you going?" Shelley called to her.

Haley pretended like she didn't hear her and quickly made her way over to Brooke. "What's up?"

"You should go check on Nathan."

There was something in her expression and tone of voice that caught her attention. "Why? Is something wrong?" She noticed Lucas sweeping up something from the floor next to them. "Is that glass?"

"Yeah."

"What happened? Did someone break something?"

"You should go check on Nathan," Lucas repeated. "He's upstairs in Brooke's bathroom."

"He did this?" she questioned, already becoming concerned.

Brooke nodded. "I think he saw you and Chase dancing. He looked pretty upset."

_It figures_, Haley thought with dread.

"All right, I'm going. If Shelley or Chase asks, I went to the bathroom or something."

"Got it."

Haley practically sprinted up the stairs and headed straight for Brooke's room. She opened the door and walked inside. The room was empty. Sure enough, thought, the light was on in the bathroom.

"Hey," Haley said softly, making her presence known. She leaned against the doorframe. When Nathan turned around to face her, she gasped. "Your hand."

He glanced down at it. "It looks worse than it is."

"You're bleeding." She rushed to his side to examine the cuts more closely.

"I already washed them out. I was trying to put some Band-aids on them, but it's kind of difficult with one hand."

"Are you sure there's no glass in them?" She ran her finger against one of them and quickly pulled it back when he winced.

"How did you—"

"Brooke."

"Oh." He was silent for a moment before answering, "No, there's no glass. The cuts are clean."

She grabbed the box of Band-aids. "Let me do it."

He nodded for her to go ahead.

Haley was very careful when placing the bandages over the abrasions. It was obvious that they hurt more than Nathan was letting on. "You should be more careful. How are you going to play basketball tomorrow with your hand like this?"

"I'm used to playing through pain. It's no big deal."

Haley shook her head and sighed. "How did you do this anyway? I saw all the glass on the floor downstairs. What was it from?"

"A beer bottle," he answered.

She glanced up at him, but he wouldn't meet her gaze. "You were drinking?"

"It was one bottle. I didn't even finish it."

Haley ran her hand over the Band-aids to make sure they were secure. "Why did you break the bottle to begin with?" Haley questioned, trying to sound casual.

"I don't know. I guess I wasn't thinking about it."

He wasn't telling the truth. She knew that. Haley brought his injured hand up and kissed it. "You know that that dance didn't mean anything, right?" she murmured while meeting his intense gaze. "You know that I wish it was you."

Nathan stared at the ground and shuffled his feet. "Is that the jackass Shelley wants you with?"

"Chase isn't a jackass. He's actually a really nice guy."

"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "That's why he was all over you." Nathan knew that he sounded like a jealous idiot. But he couldn't help it. There was just something in him that snapped whenever he saw another guy with Haley. And the worst part was that there was nothing he could do about it.

"He was not. We were just dancing. Besides, he's shy, and Shelley kind of set us up. It's not like he asked me himself."

"He bettor not, or that 'Clean' shirt of his will have some blood stains on it."

Haley took his face in her hand and guided it to hers. She kissed Nathan gently and pulled away. "You better not," she warned. "Or else you'll be the one bleeding."

Nathan smirked challengingly. "And what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to kick your ass," she declared confidently.

"You do realize that you're, like, less than half my weight and short, right?" he teased.

Her eyes narrowed at him. "Maybe so. But I have an alternative plan if that doesn't work."

"Which is?"

"I just won't kiss you for a couple of weeks."

"You wouldn't." She had to be bluffing. Haley sure as hell loved kissing him as much as he loved kissing her. There's no way that she could last that long.

"Try me," Haley dared with an amused, yet smug grin. Her exterior was confident, but on the inside she was praying that he wouldn't push her. She'd probably go crazy and beg him to put her out of her misery after the first day.

Nathan remained silent for a minute, surveying her. "Damn, you play dirty," he muttered when he realized that she wasn't going to crack.

Haley smiled triumphantly. "I learn from the best."

"I'm starting to think I'm a bad influence on you."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about you. I meant Brooke," she joked.

Nathan's expression turned menacing. "Now you're asking for it."

Haley swiftly turned around and tried to make a break for it as he advanced on her. She let out a squeal when he tackled her onto Brooke's bed, pinning her down. Giggles immediately erupted from her throat as he began to tickle her sides.

"Nathan, stop it. Someone might hear!"

"Hear what? This?" He tickled her harder.

She laughed out loud. "Y-your hand," she reminded him, searching for any excuse to make him stop.

"Feels just fine," he answered. It was sore, but it wasn't too unbearable. He'd much rather continue to torture Haley.

"Stop! I c-can't breathe!" she proclaimed. Her sides were beginning to hurt as tears from laughing so hard fell from her eyes.

Nathan sighed dramatically. "Oh, fine, you big baby." He halted his attack.

"I am not a big baby," she replied, still breathless.

"Are you sure?" He smirked and brought his hand to her face. "Because it looks like you're pouting right now."

"I am not pouting. I am trying to catch my breath."

"That's too bad," Nathan said in an innocent voice.

"Why?" she asked, giving him a skeptic look.

"Well, since we have this whole room to ourselves and no one is around, I was going to kiss you. But if you're out of breath then—"

"Just shut up and kiss me, Scott," Haley playfully demanded.

Nathan was more than happy to oblige as he pulled her face towards him. Their lips met in a slow, yet steamy kiss. Haley tilted her head slightly to deepen it, allowing him more access. She moaned when his tongue started to trace the outline of her lips.

Nathan let out a groan himself as he tasted her signature strawberry lip gloss. He kissed her more forcefully, trying to taste more of her. It always served to drive him wild.

"Why don't we just stay here for a while?" Haley murmured against his lips.

"Mmm, good plan." He moved down to her neck.

"You might want to lock the door," she suggested. The last thing they needed was for someone to walk in on them.

Nathan gave her one more quick kiss on the mouth before reluctantly getting up. He locked the door as she said and returned to his previous spot on top of her. His arms wound around her waist, bringing her snugly against him. Nathan ducked his head and continued to leave hot, open-mouthed kisses on her soft skin.

Haley turned her head to the side to give him better access. She could feel the goose bumps forming on her flesh as his skilled tongue and lips worked her over. She wriggled a little bit under him, making him groan, when he sucked on her pulse point. It wasn't long before her breathing had picked up and was labored, once again.

She fisted her hand in his hair and guided his mouth back to hers. Their tongues tangled as their lips ravaged each other's in a kind of frenzy. He smelled so good, and the way his hands stroked and caressed various parts of her body had her feeling feverishly warm and alive.

Nathan's whole body tingled as Haley's hands slid under his shirt. Her hands roamed over his bare back. Every once in a while her fingernails would lightly scrape against his skin, causing him to shudder. When he felt her starting to pull up the material, he leaned back and quickly discarded it. His lips returned to hers afterward in a fierce kiss.

Haley's whole mind was clouded. Her senses were officially on overload. Nathan was completely surrounding her, touching her, and murmuring soft delectations against her skin. She couldn't remember that last time things had gotten so heated between them. But she knew one thing: she wasn't ready for it to stop just yet.

Nathan felt Haley's hands leave his back and slide between them. She ran her fingers down his broad chest to his stomach. His breath hitched in his throat at the sensation. It was then that he felt her shift underneath him. It took a moment for him to realize what she was doing. Nathan's eyebrows rose as she started pulling her shirt up.

He gave her a questioning look.

"I'm hot," she stated and struggled to take the shirt off.

Nathan helped her. He felt a small wave of disappointment flow through him when he noticed that she had a tank top on underneath. He hastily cast that thought aside and refocused on Haley. His hands caressed her bare arms. Sure enough, her skin was blazing.

Haley closed her eyes and bit her lip when Nathan kissed her neck and started making his way down her body. She shivered when his lips came into contact with the patch of bare skin on her stomach that wasn't covered by her tank top. His mouth tickled and teased the soft tissue. She was desperately trying to breathe some air into her lungs, but suddenly felt it gush out with every lap of his tongue.

"God, Hales, you taste so good," he muttered.

One of her hands gripped the comforter on the bed as the other ran through his hair. She needed to hold onto something before she combusted.

A few seconds later, a sharp knock sounded on the door. The two instantly froze as reality came crushing down upon them.

"Haley, are you in there?"

Haley placed her hands over her face to hold back a frustrated scream. It was Shelley.

Nathan ran an aggravated hand through his hair and whispered a string of curses under his breath. _Unbelievable!_ Couldn't they get any freaking time to themselves?

"I'm sorry," Haley mouthed silently to him.

He shook his head in dismissal. It wasn't Haley's fault that Shelley was like a relentless bull dog.

Haley did not want to leave. She wanted to stay with Nathan for a while longer. But knowing Shelley, the girl wouldn't quit until she found her. "Maybe I should—" Haley began when another voice could be heard outside the door.

"What are you doing up here?" It was Brooke.

"I'm looking for Haley."

"She's not up here."

"Someone said she was."

"Well, she's not."

"Why is this door locked, then?" Shelley demanded.

"Because it's my room and I don't want drunken idiots in there having sex on my bed," Brooke answered briskly.

"Then I'll check the other rooms."

"Trust me, Haley's not in there, either. And the things you'll see if you do go searching in any of the other rooms up here will probably scar your little Clean Teen mind for life," Brooke explained.

"Then where the hell is she?"

"Why the hell do you need to know? What are you, her mother?"

"Nathan came up here, too. I saw it."

"He cut his hand and needed a Band-aid. Now he's back downstairs. In fact, he's probably joined Lucas and the guys in a game of beer pong."

"You better not be lying," Shelley warned.

"Paranoid much?" Brooke retorted.

Haley and Nathan heard a set of footsteps walk away.

"You guys so owe me," Brooke mumbled through the door after a moment. "And you better make yourselves decent and get downstairs before you're caught."

Nathan rolled his eyes and got up in defeat. He put his shirt back on as Haley did the same. "I guess the party's over."


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey guys, thank you all for the reviews! I always enjoy reading them. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.  


* * *

**

**Chapter 33**

"Nathan, get your ass back here! We're not finished discussing this."

"I have to go. I've got practice," Nathan called over his shoulder. He was practically running to his car. "You know Whitey doesn't accept tardiness."

"Then we'll discuss it as soon as you're at the dealership this afternoon," Dan declared.

Nathan threw his backpack and gym bag onto the passenger's seat of his car. "Whatever," he gritted out. He got inside and slammed his door. He then started the engine and sped off.

Whitey was going to kick his ass. Ever since the semi-finals had started, they'd been doing two-a-days every single day. They'd run suicides so many times they'd almost puked. And as if that wasn't bad enough, Nathan actually had to share a shower with Tim afterward. He shuddered at the thought.

Nathan arrived at the school twenty minutes later. He looked at the clock on the dashboard and swore. Despite his speeding, he was still ten minutes late. Nathan quickly grabbed his things and headed for the gym. He knew he was screwed when he already saw his teammates lined up in the middle of the court.

"Well, well, well, look who has finally decided to join us," Whitey called. "Did practice interfere with your beauty sleep this morning, Nathan, or do you actually have a legitimate excuse?"

_Does my father and I getting into a huge fight and screaming at each other count?_

Nathan shook his head. "No. It's my own fault, Coach. I'm sorry."

"Well, hurry up and get changed. Then get your ass back in this gym. Seeing as though your co-captain neglected to show up on time, you all will be running extra suicides for a good portion of practice today."

Everyone instantly groaned. Nathan gave them an apologetic look as they glared at him.

"And I don't want to hear one word of complaint," he bellowed.

Nathan rushed into the locker room and got changed. When he returned to the gym, his teammates were already running back and forth. He took his place to join them.

* * *

"Okay, that's it. All of you line up," Brooke commanded the squad. "We've got some things to sort out."

"What now, Brooke?" Theresa complained.

"Shut it and do as I say," she ordered.

"Someone's on the rag," Nicki whispered conspiratorially.

Haley and Peyton exchanged weary looks. Cheerleading practice had been downright brutal lately. So far the Ravens had been playing unbelievably well. They'd won all of their games. Not only was the school buzzing with excitement, but the whole town was, as well. It was the first time in a couple of decades that the Ravens had both the drive and actual talent to make it to the state championship. And since the guys were doing so well, it only put more pressure on the cheerleaders to do the same. At least, that's how Brooke saw it.

"Okay, let's see," Brooke said as she eyed each and every one of them. She started down the line. "Bevin, you need a breath mint. Theresa, terrible posture. You need to pinch that penny. Ashley, for the love of God, take care of those pits. Wax if need be. Nicki, lose all that eyeliner."

"I like it," she defended.

"Yeah, well, it makes you look like a whore. And while that may be true off the court, you have to at least look decent here," Brooke retorted, ignoring everyone's dirty looks. "Peyton, excellent posture. But your curls are looking a little lax today. We'll get you some hairspray. Haley, nice form. But take care of that thing—you know what I'm talking about."

Haley felt her face flush red and she glowered at Brooke. She'd promised not to say anything. Thankfully, her hair was covering the offending area on her neck, preventing her fellow squad members from learning what she was referring to.

"Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!" Brooke finished. "Guys, the state championship is three weeks away. We need to get it together here, and I'm not just talking about the routine. I'm talking hair, nails, underarms, Ashley!"

"Brooke, cheerleading is supposed to be fun," Bevin said.

"Yeah, well, being the best is funner. And if you don't like it, then you can go cheer for the wrestling team." She gave them all a stern look and then sighed. "Take ten."

Peyton and Haley stepped forward to talk to her. "Okay, you want us to do well. We get it. But do you have to be so harsh on the squad," Peyton commented.

"Did you ever think that I'm being a psycho-hoes beast because I want us to actually do well at the championship?" she replied. "This is our legacy we're talking about. And I am not about to be shamed at the most important game of our cheerleading career."

"Technically, we don't even know if we're going to the championships yet. There are still three more games left," Haley pointed out.

"Please, Tutor Girl, you know we are. Just look at the guys," Brooke said and nodded toward the court. They hadn't stopped running since the beginning of practice. "They are working their asses off."

"By the way, you promised you wouldn't say anything about my you-know-what," Haley stated, dropping her voice.

"Your what?" Peyton questioned curiously.

"Ssh," she scolded.

"Hey, it's not my fault," Brooke defended. "Next time tell Boy Toy not to suck so hard."

"Okay, what the hell are you two talking about?" Peyton demanded.

Brooke smiled wickedly. "Go on. Show her, Tutor Slut," she teased.

Peyton grinned, intrigued. "Show me what?"

"I really hate you right now," Haley declared, glaring at the brunette. She looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them and moved her hair away from her neck.

Peyton laughed out loud, and Haley quickly moved her hair back into its former position.

"It's not funny," Haley chastised.

"I'm sorry. But that's just…" the blonde cracked up. "It just looks like you got your neck stuck in a Hoover."

"Please, it can't be as bad as the golf-ball sized one Jake gave you over the summer," Haley retorted. "That thing had its own zip code."

Brooke snickered at that. Peyton whipped her head and gave her a dirty look. "I'm sorry, but Tutor Girl has a point."

"Can we just get back to practice?" Peyton questioned in annoyance.

"Fine. Break's over girls," Brooke announced.

"But you said ten minutes," Ashley reminded her.

"Yeah, well, cry me a river. Let's go."

* * *

Haley stood in the Tutoring Center putting away some files when she felt two strong arms wrap around her from behind. She jumped in surprise. "Damn it, Nathan, you scared me."

"Sorry," he chuckled and kissed her cheek. "But you knew I was coming."

"Still, a little warning would've been nice," she muttered. With both her and Nathan having practice twice a day—once in the morning and once in the afternoon—they didn't get to have their usual tutoring sessions at the docks anymore. So after practice in the morning, they'd both sneak into the empty Tutoring Center and spend what time they could with each other.

Haley checked her watch. It seemed as if they'd only have about twenty minutes before they needed to go their separate ways, and people started arriving at school. Nathan wasted no time in lowering his head and kissing her neck.

Haley quickly turned around and pushed at his chest. "Okay, none of that."

He groaned. "Why not?"

She moved her hair completely away from her neck and pointed at the red splotch. "That's why not."

Nathan stared at the obvious hickie and smirked. "Did I do that?"

"No, it was my Clean Teen boyfriend," she said sarcastically. Much to her satisfaction, it wiped the smirk totally off of his face. "Of course it was you!" She'd told him yesterday that something like this would happen if he didn't tone it down. Unfortunately, she'd listened to that little voice in the back of her head that told her to shut up and enjoy it.

Nathan frowned at the memory of Haley dancing with that Chase guy at Brooke's party a couple of weeks ago. Even though she'd said it was no big deal, he still couldn't forget about it. It sucked having a girlfriend and not being able to tell everyone that she was yours.

"It looks good on you," Nathan commented casually and shrugged.

"Good?! Nathan, do you realize how bad it will be if Shelley spots this?"

"Put something on top of it then. There's got to be some form of makeup or—"

"Brooke already gave me something."

"Then why haven't you put it on yet?"

"Because I wanted to show you what you did and prove a point."

"Fine, point proven," Nathan said. He smirked again and pulled her flush against his body. "Although, it does make me kind of want to give you another one."

"Down boy," she ordered but blushed despite herself.

He settled with giving her a quick peck on the lips.

"So, why were you late to practice this morning? Whitey looked pissed."

"One guess."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Dan."

"Yup."

"Now what'd he do?"

"He was hammering me about college again."

"Speaking of, I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Haley told him. She took a seat at one of the tables; Nathan followed.

It had been weeks since they'd had the big college talk. With everything that had been going on, it kind of got put on the backburner. But with only a little over two months left until prom and graduation, it couldn't be put off any longer.

"I've made a decision."

Nathan nodded. "Me, too."

"I've decided to go to Duke with you," she proclaimed.

"Hales, you can't go to Duke. And I don't want you to."

She gawked at him in confusion. "What? Why not?" she asked, trying to conceal her disappointment.

"Because I'm going to Stanford," he announced with a smile.

"What?" she balked. "Nathan, you cannot go to Stanford."

"Why not?"

"Because I've been doing some research and Duke has an amazing basketball program. I mean, their coach, this guy, uh, Coach Krezcurdoosky is, like, a legend and—"

Nathan grinned in amusement. "You mean Coach Krzyzewski," he corrected.

"Kusha—yeah, what?"

"People call him Coach K."

"And so should you. I mean, you should have this opportunity," Haley explained while taking his hand. "Duke's a really great school, and I think I could be really happy there—especially if I was with you."

"Well, I've been doing some research of my own, and Stanford is like a world-renowned university. I mean, their academic programs are really good, and you'd be getting the best of the best."

"But, Nathan, their basketball program is nothing compared to Duke's," Haley pointed out.

"I know, but it'd give me more of a chance to shine and get noticed," Nathan stated.

"I don't know."

"Think of it this way: Wouldn't it be better for me to be a big fish in a small pond rather than a little fish in a big pond?"

"But you should have the chance to be a big fish in a big pond," she urged.

"And so should you," he argued. Nathan knew how badly Haley wanted to go to Stanford. He could see it in her eyes when they'd had their argument a few weeks ago. She'd been so scared that he wouldn't seriously consider Stanford.

Besides, Haley had always been into school. She lived and breathed academia. She deserved to go to one of the best schools in the country for that.

Haley watched Nathan carefully. He was doing this for her. He had to be. While she appreciated the gesture, she just knew that he couldn't pass up on Duke. She'd never been into basketball. But after learning about Duke and how well known it was for producing some of the best basketball players and teams in the country, she just couldn't take this opportunity away from Nathan.

She exhaled loudly. "Now what are we going to do? We totally just flip-flopped."

He squeezed her hand. "Look, I wish I had an answer for all of this school stuff. It's just that…if I tell you not to go to Stanford, then it's like I'm telling you not to follow your dreams. If I tell you to go, it's like I'm saying that I don't want to be with you," Nathan told her. "So what do you want me to say?"

Haley looked at him for a moment in silence and smiled timidly. "Just say that you love me."

He brought is hand to her face and caressed her cheek. He kissed her lips tenderly. "Of course I love you."

* * *

"So, when you asked if I wanted to go to dinner and a movie, this wasn't exactly what I was expecting."

Lucas chuckled and handed her a couple of fries. "Sorry. I just couldn't handle another night like this alone."

The pair was sitting in Lucas's truck not too far from Dan's dealership. Lucas had the video screen mounted on the dashboard so that he could keep an eye on Dan. In the meantime, they were eating food that they'd picked up from Karen's Café before driving over.

"You get bored?"

"Yeah. I mean, all he's been doing is paperwork and filing," Lucas said while nodding to the screen. "He hasn't made one bad move at all."

"Are you sure that the ledger and money are still in the office? He could've moved them out of the dealership," Haley suggested.

"Nathan's already checked the beach house and all that. He didn't find anything, and Dan's behavior hasn't been out of the ordinary."

"What about a safety deposit box?"

Lucas shrugged. "I don't think so. Dan needs the ledger close by so that he can keep track of the money. It wouldn't be of any use to him if it was in another location. It's got to be here somewhere."

"This sucks," Haley pouted.

"Tell me about it."

"By the way, Brooke was asking about you," she told him.

"What'd she say?"

"She's been wondering where you've been lately. I think she's starting to get a little paranoid."

"Crap," Lucas muttered. "I'd hoped that with the semi-finals being almost over and the championship coming up she'd be distracted."

Their last game, which they needed to win to make it to the finals, was tomorrow night. The championship game would be next week and take place in Charlotte. Everyone was feeling the pressure now.

"Well, she's noticed."

"I'll have to tell her. I mean, I won't go into the details, but I'll just say that I'm helping Nathan with something," he stated. "She'll probably want to know everything, though."

"You gotta stay strong, Broody," Haley teased and slapped his back. "Don't let her break you."

Lucas laughed. "Gee, thanks for the advice."

"I'm smart like that."

"So, what about you?"

"What about me?" Haley replied, puzzled.

"A little birdie told me that you and Nathan still haven't decided where you're going to college yet."

"A little birdie or a little brother?" she questioned knowingly.

"The latter," he conceded.

"I thought so."

"Well, the clock is ticking. Where's your head at?"

"I honestly don't know. I was all set on going to Duke with Nathan. But then he said that he wanted to go Stanford instead and was explaining how well I would fit in there."

"What is your gut telling you?"

"Truthfully, my gut is telling me to go to Stanford," Haley explained, sighing. "But my heart is telling me that I don't want to be away from Nathan, and that the best thing for him is to go to Duke."

"I know that you probably don't want to hear this," Lucas said and patted her hand, "but maybe you should seriously consider going to separate schools."

"Then we'd be leading totally separate lives. What would that mean for us?"

Lucas smiled teasingly. "Phone sex."

"Ew!" she exclaimed and elbowed him.

"I'm just kidding. But, Hales, the bottom line is that you guys are polar opposites. You have different dreams and goals that you want to accomplish. And sometimes that takes you down different paths."

"Are you trying to make me feel better, because it's really not working," Haley commented. She was beginning to feel a little depressed at his words.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "My point is that that's okay. You should have your own interests, and you should have the opportunity to explore them. All that matters is that your hearts are the same. And as long as you love each other and want to make it work, you will."

Haley eyed him skeptically. "Have you been reading Nicholas Sparks or something?"

"I'm not admitting to anything," he joked.

She smiled. "It's just that it's a lot easier said than done."

"Look at it this way, you guys are kind of living separate lives now. You can't even really be with each other, and you're living in the same damn town."

"But we can at least see each other."

"But you're also used to being separated. You know, maybe this whole Dan banning you guys from being together happened for a reason. Maybe it was to prepare you guys for this. So when you do have to go to your different schools, you'll know how to cope with it," he declared.

Haley remained silent for a moment. As much as she didn't want to admit it, a part of her felt that he was right. There had to be a reason why she and Nathan had been tested so much this year. It couldn't have been just some random and cruel punishment. It had to have a purpose. It had to be to make them stronger.

"You know I'm right."

Haley gave him a small smile. "I'm not admitting to anything."

"I'll take that as a yes," he said with a confident grin. "By the way, if there's no hope for you and Nathan then Brooke and I are totally screwed."

Haley laughed out loud. "I have a feeling that you guys will be just fine."

"Thanks," he replied before embracing her. He then suddenly pulled back.

"What's the matter?" Haley inquired, concerned.

"I'll be damned."

"What?"

"Look." He pointed to the video screen.

Haley's eyes widened. "Oh my God."


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

"Wake up, sleepyhead."

Nathan groaned. He'd been in a deep, comfortable sleep. Then, out of nowhere, he heard a voice pulling him back to consciousness. He fought it. He really did. But when he heard the voice a second time and felt someone shake him, he begrudgingly opened his eyes to identify the perpetrator.

"Hales?" he questioned, his voice thick with sleep. She was sitting next to him on the bed. Feeling confused and disoriented, Nathan rubbed his eyes.

He felt panic shoot through him. What was she doing here? If his dad caught her, then…It took a moment for him to remember his surroundings. He wasn't at the beach house. He sighed in relief. He was at his old house in his old room. He was staying with his mom for the weekend.

"Jeez, Hales, you scared me," Nathan muttered.

She smiled. "Sorry."

"What time is it?" He looked at the clock and moaned. "God, Hales, it's six o'clock—on a Saturday."

"I know."

"How did you get in?"

"Your mom."

"She's up?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes. She's an early bird."

Nathan grunted and rolled over onto his stomach before burying his face in his pillow.

"Nathan, what are you doing?"

"I'm going back to sleep," he stated, his voice sounding muffled by the material.

She ran a soothing hand down his back. "Baby, you have to get up."

"I'm too tired. But you can join me if you want." He wasn't too exhausted to smirk sexily.

"I told you we should've just gotten a bucket of ice water," said a deep voice.

Nathan frowned and lifted his head. Lucas was standing in the doorway. "Okay, that's just creepy."

Lucas gave him a questioning look. "What is?"

"Haley I can handle. But waking up to your face in the morning, now that's just wrong."

Lucas stared at him wryly. "That's it. I'm getting the ice water."

"Stop it," Haley scolded, laughing. "I told you to let me handle this. He's not always the best morning person."

"Gee, I wonder why?" Lucas muttered.

Nathan dropped his head back onto his pillow. "Shut up, Pucas, and let me get some sleep."

"Jackass," he mumbled under his breath.

Haley shot him a reproachful look before returning her attention to Nathan. "No, you have to get up. We've got something important to tell you."

"Tell me in an hour," he mumbled with his eyes closed.

"It's about Dan."

Nathan's head immediately shot up at that. "What?"

"Oh, now he's up."

Haley sent Lucas a smug smile, to which he rolled his eyes. "See, it's all about tact."

"What is?"

Haley faced Nathan, once again. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Whatever," he said while sitting up. "What's the news about Dan? Did you find anything?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, we did." He took a seat at the end of the bed. "Dan has a safe in his office."

Nathan's curiosity instantly piqued. "Where?"

"It's behind a painting. I think there are cars or something on it," Haley answered. "Anyway, the ledger is in there."

"And the money?"

"We don't know," Lucas said. "We couldn't see what was inside because of the camera angle. But he took out the ledger and wrote something in it before putting it back."

"But it's definitely in there."

"He didn't take it out any other time after that, so I'm assuming it is."

Nathan ran a hand through his hair and down his face. This was exactly the break they'd been waiting for. "How does it open? Did you see the code or password?"

"That's kind of the not-so-good part. He was blocking the key pad when he punched in the numbers," Haley explained. "So we couldn't see what it was."

Nathan felt some of his previous excitement disappear. "Crap."

"But he'll probably open it again. So maybe we'll see it the next time," Lucas offered.

"We better, or we're screwed. Was there a lock for a key?"

Haley shook her head. "No."

"Damn."

"Even if there was, I'm not sure my trick would work. Safes like that are heavy-duty. I'm sure they were designed to prevent someone from picking them," she stated.

"Great."

"Look, if we don't get the code, then we'll have to have a backup plan," Lucas declared.

"Like what?" Haley inquired.

"We'll just have to go into it blind and guess."

"Nathan, there are millions of different combinations that it could be. It'll be like searching for a needle in a haystack."

"True. But most passwords are specific to the person. And seeing as though I know practically everything about my dad, I might be able to figure it out."

"It's too risky."

"What other choice do we have?"

Haley bit her lip, unable to come up with a reasonable alternative. Nathan was right. They didn't have any other options. If they couldn't get that combination, then guessing and hoping to get lucky was the only thing that they could do. Time was running out.

"Well, whether we get the password or not, I think we should do this sooner rather than later," Lucas suggested. "He could move it again. Then we'll really be screwed."

"I agree," Haley spoke up. "We have to get to it while we still know where it is."

"I think we should do it tomorrow night."

"No," Nathan objected. "It's too early."

"I don't think so. It's going to be a bitch trying to figure out that code. There's no way we'll get it on the first try. We need an ample amount of time, and the only way to do that is to experiment."

"I know what you're saying. But if we get caught again, or by anyone else but Marcy, it won't be good. It could blow the entire thing."

"Um, I could keep an eye out for you guys," Haley offered. "That way no one will sneak up on you again."

"No," Nathan replied. "I'm not dragging you into this, Hales. It's too risky"

"Nathan, I'm already involved. Let me help you."

"I thought you didn't approve of us breaking in?" he reminded her.

"Ideally, I don't," Haley answered. She was so scared that Nathan and Lucas would get caught. And if it was by the wrong person, meaning Dan, then there was no telling what he would do. Haley wouldn't be surprised if he actually pressed charges on his own sons just to prove a point.

"Then why do you want to do this?" Lucas inquired.

"Because this affects me just as much as it affects you. And if you're going to succeed, then you're going to need someone you trust covering your asses. We're a team. We should do this together. Besides," Haley added, "I highly doubt you can get away with kissing Lucas on Dan's desk and not look suspicious or perverted if someone does discover you."

The brothers shuddered at the thought.

"That's just gross, Haley," Lucas said, disgusted.

"Ugh." Nathan shook his head to dispel the gross image.

Haley smiled triumphantly. "I think you get my point."

"Okay, you can help," Nathan conceded.

"Good."

"So we'll do it tomorrow night," Lucas declared. "The place closes early, right? So it'll probably be deserted by at least ten o'clock."

"Probably. But we have to make sure."

"I'll scope the place out," Lucas stated.

Nathan was silent for a moment as a thought popped into his head. "I just have one request before we do this."

"What?" Haley prodded.

"If we do guess the password correctly and are able to open the safe, we won't take anything just yet. Not before the State Championship."

Lucas frowned, completely befuddled. "Why not?"

Nathan thought about all of the times Dan worked him into the ground and hammered him about the upcoming playoffs and finals. He never got a moment's peace. His father just kept digging at him, saying that they'd probably make it to the finals but would be lucky if they actually won. Dan didn't think Nathan was strong enough. He thought he'd choke under the pressure. That's why he worked him harder. To make him "tougher inside." Sometimes Nathan just wanted to take his basketball or weights and chuck them at his father's arrogant face.

Nathan glowered at the thought. "Because I want that son of a bitch to see me win and take home the trophy that he couldn't."

* * *

"Oh my God, can you believe this? This is so cool," Brooke gushed.

Peyton chuckled. "You've only said that about a hundred times."

"So? Doesn't make it any less true."

Haley smiled at Brooke's enthusiasm. She'd never been a big sports fan. The only basketball games she'd ever attended were at high school gyms. And the only reason she'd gone was to support Lucas, which eventually evolved into cheerleading and watching Nathan. But Haley had to agree with her friend. This was cool.

The State Championship game was set to take place in less than fifteen minutes. Unlike all of the other games, they wouldn't be playing in some crummy old high school gym. This time they were playing at North Carolina State University's RBC Center. The court was huge and surrounded by a sea of seats that were almost completely filled. It showed just how momentous an occasion it was to make it to the finals. This wasn't just another game. It was "The Game." They were in the big leagues now.

Haley didn't doubt that the guys were feeling the pressure. After they won their last game of the playoffs against Verona several days ago, it's all Nathan, Lucas, Jake, and Tim had been able to talk about. They'd eaten, slept, and breathed basketball for the last week. So much was riding on this. The school was counting on them. The town was counting on them. And most importantly, Whitey was counting on them. This would be his last year coaching the Ravens. After all of the time and hard work he'd put into perfecting his teams over the years, he deserved to finally win that elusive State Championship trophy.

The guys had been working their butts off this season. Haley knew without a doubt that they would do everything in their power to win. And with Nathan and Lucas actually working together this year, along with the addition of Jake, a victory seemed more than possible. Whitey was probably giving the boys a pep talk right at this exact moment.

"God, I'm so nervous," Ashley commented. "Those Pontiac players look big."

"And hot," Nicki commented, eying them.

"Okay, that is low," Brooke declared in disgust. "Those guys are about to face our team, which also happens to include your boyfriend."

Nicki shrugged, unaffected. "There's no harm in looking."

Haley smiled when she heard Brooke mumble "traitor" under her breath.

"Don't even worry about her," Peyton said. "All we need to focus on is our routine and sending out positive vibes to the guys."

"Speaking of the routine, if any of you mess up and embarrass me in front of this stadium full of people, I will kill you," the brunette warned. "There's no way those Pontiac sluts are outshining us tonight."

Looking out at the larger-than-life crowd, Haley gulped. She'd tried to not think about all of these people watching her. Mostly she kept her mind on Nathan and Lucas. But after Brooke's comment, her stage fright seemed to be coming back in full force.

"Haley, are you okay?" Peyton questioned in a concerned tone.

Brooke turned to examine her, too. "Uh-oh. I know that look."

"I'm fine."

"Please don't have a panic attack on me now, Tutor Girl."

"I won't. I'm just nervous."

"How nervous?"

"Brooke," Peyton admonished.

"What?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and faced Haley. "You'll be fine. If you could do it at camp and at the beginning of the season in front of the entire school, you can definitely handle this."

Haley took a deep breath. "I know. I'll be fine," she repeated. She was nervous, but she could handle it. She knew that much.

"Good. Crisis averted," Brooke sighed in relief. "Ooh, look, the scoreboard just came on."

"And that jumbo screen," Theresa added.

"Oh my God, we're on camera!" Bevin exclaimed and started to fix her hair.

A few of the girls tried to push and shove their way into the picture, causing members of the audience to laugh.

Haley rolled her eyes at their childish antics as Brooke started yelling at them to cut the crap and stop looking so pathetic. Haley looked into the crowd and spotted Kat. She was sitting in the middle section with a couple of friends from her own high school. Karen and Keith were several rows in front of hers, closer to the court. To Haley's surprise, Deb was right next to them. The trio were talking and laughing. Haley smiled at the sight.

Although she hadn't seen much of Nathan's mom this past year, Haley knew that the woman was having a rough time. She still had no idea why Nathan had decided to live with Dan. She put on a brave face, but it wasn't hard to guess that the decision was slowly eating away at her.

Speaking of the devil, Haley's eyes landed on Dan. He was sitting just a couple of rows ahead of them. He was practically on the court he was so close. Haley already felt bad for Nathan. Dan probably chose that seat so that he could be in the action and yell things to his son during the game. As if Nathan didn't have enough to worry about already.

If only they'd figured out the combination to that safe. They'd made many covert trips to Dan's office these past couple of weeks and had yet to learn the password. Nathan had tried almost everything he could think of, to no avail. Haley had hoped that they'd have figured it out by now. At least if Nathan knew that he would have a way out, he could relax more. Until then, he was still stuck under Dan's rigid thumb.

"The guys are coming out. Ladies, take your positions," Brooke ordered.

Haley found her spot in the formation and began to wave her pom-poms while cheering. She couldn't help but shout a little louder when Nathan made his way onto the court. The guys were wearing their black uniforms. It was Haley's favorite on Nathan. He looked so sexy. She suddenly had the urge to run over and plant a big wet kiss on his lips for good luck. But seeing as though everyone in town was present, she knew that would certainly not be a good idea. It didn't help that she hadn't seen him at all today. Whitey and Dan kept him busy most of the time, so she'd settled with calling him and leaving an encouraging voicemail on his cell phone.

"The game is starting," Peyton announced. Even though she tried to play it cool, Haley didn't miss the obvious excitement in her voice.

Both teams got into their positions on the court. Just before the referee was about to the throw the ball into air to begin the game, Nathan glanced in her direction. Haley gave him a secretive wink. He managed to return a small smile before completely throwing himself into the game.

* * *

Nathan sat with his head in his hands, trying to block out the voices around him. He needed to focus. He had to if he was ever going to get himself ready for the second half. He couldn't keep playing the way he was.

"Nathan." He felt the bench rock slightly as Whitey took a seat next to him. "Nathan," the older man repeated.

Nathan finally looked up to face him. "I already know what you're going to say."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"That I'm playing sloppy. That my head isn't in it. That we should be blowing those guys out of the water instead of trailing behind by ten points. That I'm slowly letting it slip away."

"You make some valid points. But I was actually just going to ask if you were okay," Whitey stated.

Nathan glanced away, embarrassed. "Oh."

"I can hear what Danny's been saying throughout the whole game."

"He is practically right behind you."

"I know. I was tempted to accidentally let go of my clipboard and send it in the direction of his head."

"Sounds tempting."

At the beginning of the game, Nathan had felt on top. The adrenaline was coursing through him as he let his instincts take over, like they always did, when he played. But it wasn't that far into the first quarter that something—or someone, rather—began to break his concentration. Every time he got the ball, made a pass, or took a shot, he could hear Dan yelling from the sidelines. Sometimes he was even louder than Whitey.

At first Nathan had tried to not let it get to him. But after a while, he just couldn't filter the voice out of his mind. Soon he started to second guess himself. He halted a second too long during plays or passed at inopportune times. The number of turnovers he'd accumulated tonight had to be more than he'd had throughout the whole season. All of the adrenaline and confidence he'd felt at the start of the game was slipping away. He could feel it.

"Nathan, you have trained for this most of your life. I know it's hard, but you have what it takes. This is your moment. No matter what, don't let Danny take that from you."

Nathan nodded, trying to let his coach's encouraging words sink in.

"Why don't you go outside and get some air? We've still got about ten minutes."

"Thanks, Whitey," Nathan mumbled before standing. He passed by his teammates, aware that their eyes were on him.

As soon as Nathan left the locker room, he almost ran right back in. _This cannot be happening._

"What the hell are you doing out there? Huh? Are you trying to give the game away?!" Dan exclaimed, approaching him.

"No."

"Because that's exactly what you're doing. You're screwing up everything. What the hell is going on with all of those turnovers? It's sloppy and makes you look like some kind of rookie with two-bit talent."

"I'm trying, Dad, but it's a little hard to focus when you're screaming at me from the sidelines every two seconds," Nathan gritted out.

Dan scoffed. "Oh, so now you're trying to blame this on me? Great, Nathan. Really great."

"If you would just shut up, then I would be fine. I know what I'm doing."

"If that were true, you wouldn't be losing right now. If you listened to me, you'd be up by fifty points instead of trailing by ten!"

"We can still come back."

"Not if you don't get your lazy ass in gear. You'll be lucky if Duke still wants you after this game."

Nathan's hands balled into fists at his sides as he felt his temper rise. He was already on edge. Dan was only pushing him further and faster towards his breaking point.

"Now listen to me. You have to—"

"Dan!" someone bellowed.

The pair turned to see Deb walking toward them.

Dan rolled his eyes. "As if this night couldn't get any worse."

"Leave him alone," Deb ordered when she was finally in front of him.

"I'm trying to talk to my son. This is basketball stuff. It's none of your concern."

"It sure as hell is my concern when all I can hear is you belittling him the whole game. He was fine before you opened your big fat mouth."

"The only reason he's even made it this far is because of me. I—"

"Oh, cut the shit, Dan. Not everything is about you. When are you going to realize that and stop being such a smug, manipulative bastard?!" she fired back.

Nathan closed his eyes as his parents began to fight. He knew that his mom was just trying to help and defend him, but it was only making his mind feel like it was on overload. He had to get away from them or he'd really lose it.

"Nathan! Nathan, where are you going?" Dan called after him.

Nathan ignored his father and kept walking until he was outside the stadium. As soon as the cool night air hit his face, he felt a littler better. _Keep it together, Scott_, he told himself. _You've still got two more quarters to get a grip and turn this around_.

If only it were that easy.

Nathan ran an agitated hand through his hair. He nearly jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around and let out a breath of relief when he saw that it was Haley.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," she apologized.

"I thought you were my dad."

"I'm sorry," she repeated. Although, this time, he knew that it had nothing to do with her sneaking up on him.

"I just…I was so ready for tonight. I've been working toward this forever. It was supposed to be perfect," he mumbled. Haley remained silent as he continued. "Then my father started, and I don't know what happened. I started to fall apart…God, I'm pathetic."

"You are not."

He shot her a look of disbelief.

"You're not," Haley said forcefully. She directed his gaze to hers. "You can do this. I know you can. You're stronger than this, Nathan. You're stronger than him."

He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "What do I do?" he questioned, his voice strained.

"You summon up all of the courage, confidence, and talent that we both know is inside of you, and you go out there and kick some ass."

Nathan smiled ruefully.

"I'm serious," Haley declared. "Don't worry about the town or Whitey's retirement or your damn father's expectations. You put that all out of your mind, and you do this for _you._"

"Hales—"

"I have faith in you, Nathan Scott," she proclaimed, smiling, while caressing his cheek. "This is your chance, baby."

"God, I love you." He crushed her body against his and captured her lips in a searing kiss. The amount of unwavering conviction and trust Haley had in him, even when Nathan didn't quite feel it himself, always managed to amaze and inspire him. Now was no different. He needed a reminder of what this game really stood for, and she just gave it to him.

"Thank you," he whispered, breathless, when they finally broke apart.

"It was nothing," she quipped with a casual flick of her hand, making him laugh. Haley gave him one more deep, meaningful kiss. "Now go get 'em, Boy Toy."


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

"Where did you disappear to, Tutor Girl?"

"Oh, um, nowhere. I just had something I needed to take care of."

"You didn't happen to go talk to Nathan, did you?"

"He's been having a rough night," Peyton spoke up.

Brooke snorted. "I don't know how he's supposed to concentrate with his jackass father yelling things the whole game. Whitey looks like he's close to beating his ass."

Haley looked at her friends and shrugged. "Well, there's still the second half."

After the first half of the game had ended and the girls did their routine, Haley immediately went off in search of Nathan. She'd heard everything Dan was saying. Hell, everyone who was around him could hear his less than encouraging words. It was so distracting.

In the beginning, Nathan had done well. But it didn't take long for her to see that Dan was getting inside his head. It broke Haley's heart to see Nathan go from being on top of his game to messing up left and right. It just wasn't him. He was so much better than that. She knew that she had to see him before the game resumed.

Haley had made her way toward the boy's locker room. She'd just barely arrived on time to see him slink off down the hall. It wasn't hard to figure out why with Dan and Deb screaming at each other in the middle of the corridor. Haley snuck by them and quickly followed Nathan.

She finally made it outside. And even though his back was to her, Haley could see the frustration and turmoil present in his tense body. She took a moment to watch him before gathering her own strength to help him. Haley would be damned if she let Dan take Nathan down with him. Nathan had worked his ass off to get to this point, and there was no way that she was going to let him lose because of his father.

At first Nathan was upset and a bit skeptical, but eventually he started to listen to her. By the time she'd finished her little pep talk, he seemed much more self-assured and determined—the way he should be. Haley wanted him to know that no matter what happened, she believed in him. And that if he was truly going to play this game, then he should give it everything he has. Nathan needed to forget about everyone else's expectations and just play for himself. If he could do that, then Haley knew he'd be more than fine.

A few minutes later, both teams walked back into the stadium and onto the court. Haley glanced at the crowd. Both Dan and Deb were in their previous seats. Haley noticed Whitey shoot a dirty look towards Dan as he returned to the sidelines.

Lucas pulled Nathan aside and whispered something to him. Nathan replied, smirked, and then bumped fists with him. Peyton and Brooke noticed and looked to Haley. The blonde shrugged innocently and kept her focus on Nathan.

There was something different about him. Haley could already see it. The game resumed, and Nathan immediately stole the ball from his opponent. A proud smile formed on her face. _Oh yeah, the real Nathan is back, _she mused.

Nathan made a shot and it sailed perfectly into the net. The squad and audience cheered loudly.

"Didn't talk to him my ass," Brooke laughed at her.

Peyton nudged her. "Good work, Haley."

Her cheerfulness didn't last long, however, when she heard Dan shouting again. Like before, the people around him, and Whitey, were getting supremely annoyed.

"What an ass," Peyton mumbled.

Haley would take care of that. She got Peyton and Brooke's attention. "Do me a favor. Every time Dan opens his mouth, we cheer as loud as we can. Maybe we can drown him out."

"Sounds good to me," Brooke agreed.

Their little plan seemed to work. Every time Dan opened his mouth, they would raise their pom-poms and cheer at the top of their lungs. Haley knew that they were having an affect when Dan glared in their direction. He cupped his hands around his mouth to scream louder.

_Two can play that game_. Haley focused her attention back on the court and was just in time to see Nathan yell for Lucas to pass him the ball. She started to cheer for him and then abruptly stopped in shock at what she witnessed.

When Lucas had thrown Nathan the ball, Nathan didn't catch it. Instead, he moved out of the way and let it fly toward the crowd, hitting Dan hard in the face. There were some shocked gasps from audience members before the surrounding rows began to clap and cheer.

Haley and the squad found themselves among them. Even Whitey had a smug smile on his face. Dan's eyes threw daggers at Nathan as he clutched his nose. It was a mean thought, but Haley hoped it was broken.

* * *

"Real nice, man," Jake complimented and patted Nathan's back.

Tim nodded eagerly in agreement. "That was sweet."

"Great shot," Lucas added.

"Hey, it was all you," Nathan joked. "I just moved out of the way."

"Maybe he'll shut the hell up now. He was getting on my nerves," Jake commented as they got back into the game.

"Tell me about it," Nathan replied.

When the game continued, Nathan enjoyed the instant silence his little maneuver had caused. Even though he wasn't speaking, he knew that Dan was still fuming in his seat. Nathan was sure he'd get an earful later on. Until then, he had a championship to win.

Nathan felt exactly as he had at the very beginning of the game. His adrenaline was pumping. His mind and senses were sharp, and his instincts didn't hesitate to take over. Most of the time they were right. The Ravens were quickly gaining the points they needed to tie up this game. Nathan had hit a rough patch earlier, but that was gone now. These losers from Pontiac were going to have to work twice as hard to get something by him and his teammates.

"Was that good? That was good, right?" Brooke questioned.

"I don't know," Peyton said with a shrug.

Haley shook her head. "Don't look at me. You think I understand sports?"

"You'd think that after being basketball cheerleaders for years we'd pick up a fact or two," Brooke muttered.

It was the final quarter and the teams were neck in neck. The Ravens had managed to gain a bit of a lead, but Pontiac had caught up. The opposing team was only ahead by three points. The Ravens had to do something. Time was quickly running out.

"I can't deal with this kind of pressure," Brooke exclaimed. "I'm so nervous!"

"Come on, Jake!" Peyton called. "Get the ball!"

"They just need to get to the basket and shoot, right?" Haley questioned.

Brooke shook her head. "I don't think so. I think they have to be behind the three-point line."

"Where's that?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"I think it's that one right there," Peyton said, pointing.

"What if they can't make it from there?" Haley inquired.

"Then they'll have to make more shots."

"How many points is that?"

"It's one, I think."

"I thought it was two," Brooke spoke up.

"No, two is for a free shot," Haley said.

"Free _throws_," Peyton corrected, "are worth one point."

"Then something has got to be two," Brooke stated.

"I don't think there is a two."

"How can there not be a two? That makes no sense."

"Don't look at me. I don't know the rules."

"Lucas just did one of those lay thingies," Haley announced. "We're up two points."

"I told you!" Brooke declared.

"Whatever. It's not like you're an expert. Let's be honest here. The only reason you became a cheerleader was to be near the hot, sweaty guys," Peyton argued.

"So did you," she fired back.

"Guys, the game is almost over. Now is not the time to fight," Haley intervened. "We should be cheering. The guys need us."

"Yeah, P. Sawyer."

"Up yours, B. Davis."

"Ladies!" Haley scolded.

Brooke stuck her tongue out at Peyton before cheering for Lucas. Peyton made a face before concentrating on Jake. Haley had to laugh at them both. They were just too funny sometimes.

Haley watched the clock. Only ten seconds left, and the Ravens only needed one point. _Come on, Nathan,_ she prayed. _You're so close_.

"Shoot, Broody! Shoot," Brooke shouted when he had the ball.

"There are too many guys on him. He's going to have to pass," Peyton commented.

"Pass, Broody! Pass!"

Haley clutched her pom-poms tightly in her hands. Her stomach was in knots as she watched the guys fight to keep the ball and get open. She started shouting Nathan's name as he wriggled his way around on the court, trying to escape his defender. Eventually he managed to get open. Lucas quickly threw the ball to him.

"Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!" the audience chanted wildly.

Nathan was just behind the three-point line, unable to get any closer. It was do or die now. Haley bit her bottom lip as he jumped up and released the ball from his hands. Her whole body was shaking in anticipation as her breath caught in her throat. A part of her wanted to close her eyes, afraid to see the outcome. Another part told her she was crazy and that there was no way she could possibly miss this moment.

An explosion of cheers and applause rang out in the stadium when the ball went in. Haley found herself jumping up and down with Peyton and Brooke. _We won! We won!_

The guys were all hugging Nathan, hitting each other, and congratulating Whitey as the confetti flew down from the ceiling. A moment later, everyone began to rush onto the court. Brooke and Peyton headed straight for Lucas and Jake. Haley didn't even think twice when she ran straight for Nathan.

He caught her in his strong arms and spun her around.

"You did it!" she exclaimed.

"We did it," Nathan corrected and brought her into tight hug. He was dying to pull back and kiss her senseless, but there were too many people around for them to get away with something like that. Even a hug was a risk but neither cared at the moment. They had just won the State Championship and were going to celebrate this moment together.

Nathan's head was buried in her neck. He settled for kissing her there. No one would be able to tell with her hair in the way.

"Thank you," he whispered in her ear.

The glowing smile on her face was infectious. "You're welcome."

* * *

Nathan didn't arrive back to the beach house until three in the morning. After they'd won the championship, the team, cheerleading squad, and numerous fans headed to Karen's Café to celebrate. It had been the most fun Nathan had had in weeks. Everyone was together and happy. He couldn't remember the last time that the whole group was in the same place as each other, laughing and having a good time. And since they were so buzzed and thrilled about the game, no one thought twice about the fact that Nathan was hanging out with Lucas and Haley and the rest of the gang. Everyone was too busy basking in their win.

It had without a doubt been one of the best nights of his life. Nathan knew that he would never forget it. He'd always wanted to make it to the championship. He'd always wanted to win. And he did. Sharing it with his close friends and mom made it that much more special. It may have been a rough road to get to that point, but it had all been worth it.

Nathan looked at the trophy in his hand and smiled. In addition to winning the state title, Nathan had also gotten the MVP award. He was surprised considering how crappy he'd played during the first half. When Nathan finally regained control of himself and his emotions, though, he'd come back full force. He played his heart out, and it showed.

"Did you have a good time tonight?"

Nathan paused just as he was about to go up the stairs. He looked into the living room and saw his father sitting on the couch with a drink in his hand. The only light in the room was emanating from the lit fireplace.

"Yes, I did," he answered honestly.

"I'm sure you think that little stunt you pulled during the game was funny, huh?"

Nathan walked a little closer and got a good look at his father's face. His nose was red and swollen. There also appeared to be some bruising under his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Dan smiled knowingly. "You can cut out the innocent act. It's obvious you did it on purpose."

Nathan rubbed his eyes. "Look, as much as I'd like to stay and discuss this, I'm tired. It's been a long night." He turned to go upstairs.

"I saw you with that girl."

Nathan halted a second time as a sudden wave of panic washed over him. "What?"

"That blond cheerleader. What's her name? Holly?"

"Haley," he corrected, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"Yes, Haley. As soon as you made that last shot, she ran right for you."

"So?"

"You didn't push her away," Dan pointed out.

"It wasn't a big deal. We won, and she congratulated me. That's it," Nathan downplayed it.

Dan laughed indignantly. "You think I'm blind? You think I didn't notice how tightly you held her? Or that dopey look on your face afterward?"

"Maybe you should lay off the alcohol for the night, Dad. You're jumping to conclusions. It was a simple hug in the heat of the moment. Nothing more."

Dan's eyes widened in fury. He stood up and threw his glass of liquor into the fire. "Bullshit!" he exclaimed. "I know what I saw! I told you to stay away from her."

Nathan faltered a step, shocked at his father's sudden outburst. "I have stayed away from her. What the hell more do you want from me?" he tried to reply in an even voice.

"I want the truth."

"The truth is Haley and I are over. We have been for months now."

Dan scoffed in disbelief. "You really are a shitty liar, son. The words are coming out of your mouth, but they don't quite match the look in your eyes."

"You know what? Believe what you want. I'm going to bed."

"We are not finished yet."

"I'm tired!"

"Too fucking bad," Dan bellowed. "This is serious, Nathan. There's been something going on with you these last few months. I couldn't put my finger on it, but now it makes sense. You've been with that girl, haven't you?"

"No, I haven't," Nathan lied with a straight face. He couldn't let Dan break him. There was no telling what would happen if Dan knew the truth.

"Tell me something, is she the reason that you haven't accepted your scholarship to Duke yet?" Dan demanded. "Are you looking at these other schools to follow her? And if you are, are you really willing to throw your future away for a piece of ass?"

Nathan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. His father was seriously pushing his buttons. "How many times do I have to say it before you get it through that thick head of yours? I am _not_ with Haley. And we're not planning on going to school together."

"Then what's the damn hold up? Duke isn't going to wait forever."

"All I'm doing is exploring my options. Just like everyone else in my grade. It doesn't hurt to see what other opportunities are out there," Nathan explained. It wasn't a complete lie. As much as Nathan wanted to go to Duke, he did want to see what other schools had to offer.

"Duke is the only opportunity you need. If you want to get recognized and eventually make it into the NBA, then that is where you need to go. There's no other choice." He then added, "Although, with the way you played tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if they rescinded the offer."

"In case you missed it, we won the game," Nathan fired back. He held up his trophy. "And I was named MVP."

"You didn't deserve it. You nearly threw the game away," Dan retorted. "What, were you fantasizing out Haley in that cheerleading uniform the whole time?"

"No. The reason why I played like shit was because of you."

"Don't be ridiculous," he guffawed. "I was trying to help you."

"Help me? All you did was distract me!"

"Maybe if you didn't slack off in training then there wouldn't be a problem. I told you you weren't tough enough inside. A great player knows when to listen to his coach."

"Whitey is my coach."

"That old man doesn't know anything. If he did, he would have won a championship long before now."

"You mean like that time you were on the team, and you walked off of the court on him?" Nathan reminded him.

"I was right."

"No, you were dead wrong. Which is why the team lost," he pointed out. "You screwed up and deep down inside I think you know that. Well, guess what, Dad? You can't fix your mistakes and broken dreams through me. I can make my own decisions."

Dan's expression was livid. "Believe what you want, but you're still going to Duke," he ordered.

"That's for me to decide. Not you," Nathan argued.

"Oh, you'll go. And you have until Monday to confirm it. That's almost a week."

"Or what?" Nathan challenged, despite already having a very good idea of the answer.

"Or your basketball career is over. I'll show every damn school you applied to that drug test. You'll be lucky if you can play at the YMCA by the time I'm done."

"Dad—" he started to protest.

"You think it's bad now? Just wait and see what it feels like to have your dream slip through your fingers. Maybe then you'll learn to appreciate what you have."

Nathan stared at his father with a mixture of incredulity and utter contempt. "You'd actually do that to me?"

Dan gave him a hard, cold look. "You've done it to yourself."

* * *

"You suck."

"Lucas Eugene Scott, take that back right now!" Haley ordered.

"I will not. You're killing me here, Hales," he whined.

"We have to."

"No, we don't. It's too early to be doing this."

"It's never too early to study for finals."

The pair was sitting in Haley's living room. They'd just finished up their calculus homework. They still had about an hour before Lucas had to head home. During the remaining time, Haley thought it'd be a good idea if they started looking over previous notes to make some study guides for the final exam.

"They're not for another three weeks," Lucas pointed out.

"But with the amount of material we have to cover, there's no harm in starting early."

"You are seriously disturbed."

Haley elbowed him in the ribs. "Shut up! You'll be thanking me when you ace the damn thing."

"I don't care. We just won the State Championship. It's time to party, not study."

"That was two days ago," she reminded him.

"So?"

"So you can't let that interfere with school."

"Please, all anyone can talk about is us winning. Why do you think that Principal Turner called that assembly today? Even the teachers are still feeling the buzz of pride."

She laughed. "'Buzz of pride?'"

"You know what I mean."

Haley rolled her eyes at him, wishing she could tell Lucas that he was wrong. Unfortunately, he wasn't. The whole town was still basking in the glory of the Ravens's win. And to commemorate the victory, Principal Turner had made the entire school report to the gym to watch as the official championship banner was hung. In addition, both Nathan and Lucas's jerseys were retired and hung on the wall in glass cases. They'd been great co-captains this season and had definitely helped lead the Ravens to victory. Whitey, since he was retiring, also received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication and excellence in coaching over the years.

The whole event had been very moving. The only thing missing that would have made it perfect was Nathan. He hadn't been in school for the last couple of days, and Haley was starting to get nervous. It wasn't like him to not show up or call. Even people around school had been talking about his absence. After winning the State Championship, it seemed odd that Nathan would just disappear after such a profound achievement.

"Are you okay?" Lucas questioned, breaking her out of her troubled thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I just spaced for a minute."

"What were you thinking about so hard?"

"Nathan."

"You still haven't heard from him, huh?"

"No," she sighed. "Have you?"

"No."

"And the others? Tim?"

"Nothing."

"I'm starting to get nervous, Lucas. It's not like him to just…disappear or whatever it is that he's doing."

"I know. I've been thinking about him, too."

"I've tried calling him, but he hasn't called me back."

"Me neither."

"Do you think that something happened with Dan?" she asked, voicing her fear.

Dan had appeared absolutely livid after that stunt Nathan had pulled with the basketball at the championship. At the time, Haley had thought it clever and well deserved. But it wasn't until Nathan missed school the following day that she thought of the consequences his actions could've caused.

Could Dan have done something in retaliation? Is that why Nathan hadn't shown up to school? Was he hurt? All of these unanswered questions kept replaying over and over in her mind. Haley felt like she would go insane if she didn't talk to Nathan soon. She even thought about going over to the beach house to check on him—Dan be damned.

Lucas's expression was grave. "I hope not."

"Do you think that we should—" she began when a knock on the door interrupted her.

Haley and Lucas shot each other a look before she got up to answer the door. She felt a glimmer of hope form but wouldn't let it fully materialize until her intuition was confirmed. She let out a breath of relief a moment later.

"Nathan!" Haley exclaimed and launched herself at him.

He clutched her tightly. "Hey."

"God, you scared me! Where the hell have you been?" she demanded while ushering him inside.

"We thought Dan killed you or something," Lucas added as he came into the foyer.

"He might as well have."

Haley frowned at his words. "What?"

"I've got some bad news," Nathan said, getting straight to the point.

"What is it?" Lucas asked in a weary voice.

"Dan's suspicious of Haley and me." Before either Haley or Lucas could say anything, he continued, "He saw us hug at the game and is now convinced that she's the reason I haven't decided to go to Duke yet."

"Well, she kind of is, right?" Lucas pointed out.

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that for sure. Anyway, that's not the bad part."

Haley's hold on him tightened. "Then what is?"

"He wants me to officially declare that I'm going to Duke by next Monday, or he'll expose my drug test."

"What?" both Lucas and Haley exclaimed in outrage.

"He's completely serious. He'll do it despite the fact that it could ruin my basketball career."

"Oh my God, Nathan," Haley sympathized.

"Nobody will want me after that."

"Shit," Lucas cursed.

"We have to get into that safe before Monday. If we don't, I'm screwed. This isn't even about Duke anymore," Nathan explained. "It's bigger than college. This is about control. Dan's manipulated me all of my life, and I can't take it anymore."

Haley rubbed his arm. "Nathan…"

"I've stayed home from school these last couple of days to search the beach house for the drug test document and any information or passwords to the safe. I couldn't find anything."

"We'll go to the dealership every night this week until we get that damn thing open," Lucas promised. "Dan is not winning this one."

"I hope we can get it open," Nathan stated. "Because if not…"

"If not what?" Haley prodded

"Then he can show everyone that fucking drug test for all I care."

"Nathan, you can't be ser—"

"I _can't_ live like this anymore," he said in a strained yet determined voice. "And I don't want to."


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

"I've got it all planned out."

"Uh-huh."

"I mean, this is one of the most important nights of our lives. We've got to get the details down pat now."

"I guess."

"And I've got to call the limo company. I think it won't be too expensive if everyone chips in, right?"

"Sure."

"Tutor Girl, are you even listening to me?

"Uh-huh."

"I plan on going to prom naked."

"Great."

"Haley!" Brooke exclaimed.

Haley jumped and dropped the phone in her hands. She quickly picked it back up. "What?"

"I knew you weren't listening to me."

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Brooke. I'm just a little preoccupied right now."

"Haley, senior prom is only four weeks away. Don't you care?"

"Honestly, not really."

"How can you say that?"

_Probably because Nathan, Lucas, and I have spent the last week trying to get into Dan's safe without any success. And if we can't get into the safe, then we can't get the ledger. And if we can't get the ledger, then Nathan can pretty much kiss his basketball career goodbye, _she thought. After all of that, would senior prom really matter?

"It's not like Nathan and I will be able to go together anyway," Haley replied, skirting around the real issue.

"So? It doesn't mean that you can't make the most of it."

"Brooke, I really just don't want to talk about this right now."

"Tutor Girl, what is the matter with you?" Brooke questioned. Her voice instantly went from annoyed to concerned. "You've been acting really weird all week. Is something wrong?"

"Everything already is wrong."

"Besides that."

Haley closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. She could feel a headache coming on. She hated lying to Brooke. "No."

"Tutor Girl, you really are an atrocious liar. Don't think that Peyton and I haven't noticed your mood lately. And the same goes for Lucas and Nathan. We've all noticed something is up."

"Brooke—"

"There's something you're not telling us, and I want to know what it is," she demanded.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because it's complicated."

"Try me."

"Brooke," she groaned.

"Haley," she retorted.

Haley checked the clock on her nightstand and realized that she better get her butt in gear. She couldn't be late. "Tigger, I've got to go."

"Don't you Tigger me, Tutor Girl. What is—"

"I'll talk to you later," she quickly interjected. "Bye."

"But—"

Haley hung up the phone and went to her bedroom door. She listened for noise. When she didn't hear anything but snoring coming from down the hall, she knew that her parents were officially asleep.

Afterward, Haley went to her window and opened it. She carefully climbed out and made her way down the tree. The first time she'd done this she'd been terrified. But after practicing a few times with the help of Nathan, she finally got it. If only she could just go out the front door without being caught. It was too risky, though. Her parents would surely hear her when she came back in. Then she'd be in a whole world of trouble and have to give them some sort of explanation as to why she had to sneak out late at night in the first place.

Once her feet touched the ground, Haley headed toward the Mustang parked next to the curb off to the side of her house. She got in the front seat and shut the door behind her.

"Hey," she greeted them.

Nathan and Lucas responded in return. Then they were off.

* * *

"We're on channel three tonight," Nathan told Haley as they turned on their walkie talkies.

She nodded. "Okay." She and Lucas used to play with them as kids.

Who knew they'd come in handy eight years later? The thought made a chill go up Haley's spine.

"You okay?" Lucas questioned.

"Yeah. Just try to hurry up. This place gives me the creeps." Haley had always hated the dark. Needless to say, being at the dealership unable to turn on the lights wasn't exactly her first choice for a Saturday night.

Nathan caressed her cheek. "We will. Just keep an eye out. Okay?"

"Sure. Go."

Lucas and Nathan took off toward Dan's office. Meanwhile, Haley took her usual spot near the window. She never went too close, because she didn't want anyone to see her from the outside. She was close enough, though, to see if anyone drove into the parking lot or was approaching the building.

Like usual, the coast appeared to be clear. It kind of sucked being the lookout. There wasn't really much to do other than stare into the darkness. She really wished that she could be in the office with Nathan and Lucas. That's where the action was. In theory, anyway. They still could not figure out Dan's password. Most of the time, Nathan and Lucas were in there brainstorming and trying to find the right code.

Haley hoped that tonight would be different. So much was depending on this. After tonight, they would have only one more chance to get into that safe. Then all hell would break loose. Nathan wasn't going to confirm his spot in the fall at Duke. Haley had pleaded with him to just do it. She knew how badly he wanted to go there despite Dan's threats.

Nathan refused. He said that he wasn't going to give into his father's bullying. Not this time.

It wasn't hard to see that her boyfriend had reached his limit. Nathan had been stressed and frustrated many times this year. But this was it. He'd had enough. And even if he ruined his future, Nathan was going to break away from Dan for good. He said he'd prefer to lose basketball and gain his freedom rather than the other way around. In a way, Haley understood his decision. She'd never had to live with Dan Scott all her life. She'd only gotten a taste of the kind of havoc he could wreak on someone's life.

However, Haley thought that Nathan was giving up a lot. He may finally get out from under Dan's control, but the sacrifice would be great. She wasn't sure if he'd truly thought about what his life would be like if he lost basketball. Sure, Nathan was smart. And he had other skills, despite what he thought, but basketball was his passion. His drive. His dream. Dan Scott was a prime example of how twisted and bitter a person could become when their dreams didn't come true or had been taken from them.

Haley didn't want that for Nathan. She didn't think he'd ever be that bad, but a part of her knew that he'd be devastated and angry eventually. She couldn't bear to see him become like that. It would break her heart that much more.

Haley rubbed her eyes and looked out the window once more. _Still clear._

"Haley."

She jumped at the voice behind her. "God, Luke, don't sneak up on me like that," she admonished. "You're lucky I didn't scream or punch you or something."

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly.

"What do you need?" As annoyed as she was, Haley knew that he wouldn't have approached her without a purpose.

"You should go in the office and see Nathan. I'll keep an eye on things out here."

Something in his voice worried her. "Is he okay?"

He shook his head. "No, not really."

Without another word, Haley headed toward the office. She opened the door and shut it behind her. Nathan was punching in a code with his back to her. The safe beeped a few times, signaling that the password was incorrect. She heard him curse under his breath.

Haley jumped a moment later when his fist hit the wall.

"Damn it," he muttered in defeat and buried his face in his hands.

She approached him cautiously. "Nathan," she said softly.

He didn't answer. He didn't even turn around.

Haley placed a hand on his shoulder. "Nathan."

"Can I ask you something?" he muttered after a quiet moment.

"Sure."

"If I don't go to Duke…if I don't play college basketball…" He finally faced her. "If the championship is the best it ever gets for me, will that be enough?"

"Why are you saying this?" she questioned, despite already knowing the answer.

"I can't figure it out. The password," Nathan clarified. "I've tried every damn combination I can think of. I've tried birthdays, game stats, game dates, and a hundred other things and still nothing."

"Well, we still have more time. And tomorrow night—"

"What's the point, Haley? It's no use. I'm never going to get it. It's over."

"Nathan—"

"It's over," he declared forcefully. "It's over." His voice cracked the second time. He looked like he was seconds away from falling apart.

Haley pulled him into a hug and held him tightly. He was so lost and defeated. It made her want to cry.

Nathan buried his face in her neck. "You never answered my question. Is it enough?"

"Of course it is," Haley whispered into his ear. She gently and soothingly ran her hands over his back and through his hair. "I love you for you. Not basketball."

"Thank you."

Haley kissed his cheek and pulled back a little bit to meet his gaze. "But the real question isn't is it enough for me? The real question is is it enough for you?"

Nathan frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Nathan, I know how badly you want to get away from Dan. And I don't blame you. These past several months have been complete hell. But as awful and painful as it's been, I think it'll only get worse."

He stared at her, still confused.

"Nathan, I think you should just go to Duke."

"No."

"Nathan, please listen to me," she pleaded, taking his face in her hands. "You love basketball. It makes you happy. I see it every time you step onto a court and play. But if you let Dan take that away from you, you're going to live your whole life wondering what might have been."

"Hales—" Nathan started to protest.

"I'm serious, Nathan. You're going to regret it. And I can guarantee that you'll hate your father that much more if you do. You may even end up resenting yourself," she stated. He opened his mouth to interrupt but she kept on going. "You may not feel that way at first, but eventually you'll start to think about it and wonder."

"So I'm just supposed to do what he says yet again and give up. Is that what you're telling me?" he challenged.

"No. I'm telling you to go after your dream. Things will change for you when you go to Duke. You'll have so many opportunities. Eventually, when people see how great you are, that stupid test that he's holding over your head will mean nothing," she explained. "There will be _nothing_ holding you to him then. And most importantly, you'll still have basketball."

"What about us, Hales?" Nathan questioned. "We still won't be able to be together. You know we can't go on like this forever. I'm sick of pretending like you're nothing to me."

"That will get better, too."

"After how long? Whether we go to the same school or different ones, we'll still have to pretend. We'll always have to look over our shoulders to make sure nothing gets back to my dad. Can you honestly live like that?" he questioned. "Because I can't."

"Nathan, I will not let you give up your future for me," Haley said in a stern voice.

"It's not for you. It's for us."

"Think about what you're saying."

"I have, Haley! Okay!" he exclaimed. "And I'm telling you that I can't do this anymore! I've had it!"

"Nathan—"

"Basketball isn't the only great thing that I have in my life. Maybe at one point it was, but it's not anymore. Not since I met you. And if I have to tell my father to shove it and give up basketball so that I can be with you and actually live my own life, then so be it!"

"But don't you understand? It doesn't have to be that way!" Haley argued.

"You make it sound like it's so simple, but it's not. I know my dad. He's never going to stop! And if I'm going to get away from him, I have to do it now. While I still have a chance."

"God, why do you have to be so damn stubborn!" she exclaimed.

"Maybe I want to go to Stanford instead," he retorted.

"But you don't. We both know you don't. You want to go to Duke. Why can't you just go?"

"Why can't you see my side of it?" he shouted back. "Yeah, I want to go to Duke, but who put that idea in my head in the first place, Haley? I'll tell you. My dad!"

"So? You can still want it despite Dan. You have a mind of your own, Nathan. If you truly didn't want to go to Duke, you'd be against it no matter what your father said."

"Do you not want to be with me, Haley? Because you're trying awfully hard to push me away!"

"God, of course I want to be with you! I don't want to be separated from you. I hate it. But I'm trying to get you to see past the moment and really think about this," Haley proclaimed.

"I have thought about it."

"Well think harder!"

"Haley, I—"

The office door suddenly opened, and Lucas walked in. "Okay, I hate to break up the love fest but if you guys get any louder, someone outside is going to hear."

Nathan and Haley continued to stare angrily at each other.

"Guys," Lucas spoke up again after another minute.

"We should go," Haley finally said.

Lucas shot a look to Nathan, who was still staring at Haley. "Are you sure?"

Haley nodded. "Yeah. We're wasting our time. Nathan's giving up anyway."

She turned on her heels and walked out.

* * *

"So, are you going to tell me what that was all about?"

Nathan kept his eyes on the road. He'd just dropped Haley off. She'd barely said two words to him as she got out of the car. If that wasn't a sign that she was pissed, the slamming of the door confirmed it. Now they were on their way to Lucas's house.

"Why should I? You heard the whole thing, remember?"

"She's just worried about you, Nate. You know that, right?" Lucas muttered.

"What? Are you taking her side now?" Nathan questioned, irritated. The last thing he needed was Lucas ganging up on him, too.

"No. I get where both of you are coming from."

"But…"

"But I'd also hate to see you compromise your future because of Dan. I know that you don't want to hear this, but basketball is a part of you."

"It's not—"

"Maybe not as big a part as before, but still…it'll hurt like hell to lose it," Lucas stated. "And we both know where that road can lead."

* * *

Nathan sat back in the leather chair and stared at the wall. The safe was mocking him. It was telling him that he wouldn't win. It was telling him that he had no way out. It was right, and he hated that.

Tonight was it. It was his last chance to try and get it open. It was his last chance to fix the mess that his life had become. Nathan was exhausted. He'd barely gotten any sleep the previous night. He just kept replaying his fight with Haley over and over again in his head. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Nathan knew that some of the things that she'd said were right.

When Nathan thought about it—really thought about it—he couldn't imagine his life without basketball. It had been his dream for so long. Lucas was right. It was a part of him. It wasn't everything, but it was enough. Enough for him to feel the emptiness if it were to be taken from him.

That's why Nathan was sitting in Dan's office. Originally, he wasn't going to come. He was just going to throw caution to the wind and let the chips fall where they may. Nathan had thought that he'd be ready to challenge Dan despite the consequences. But as he sat in bed wide awake last night and tried to picture his future, it was blank. Sure, there was Haley and his friends. But his life couldn't just be about them. He had to have something for himself, too. He had to have some type of goal to work toward, just like they did.

Basketball was pretty much his shot at everything. No school would take him based on his grades. And it's not like he could afford college if he didn't have an athletic scholarship. His father sure as hell wouldn't pay for it. Maybe his mom could, but she was still getting back on her feet from the divorce. He didn't want to drain her finances any more than he had to.

But more important than college and the money was the fact that Nathan's reputation, his honor, would be tarnished. He would be labeled a cheater and a disgrace. People would see him as this person who had betrayed the game. And all for what? To settle some petty score between him and his father?

No, Nathan couldn't let that happen. He'd learned from his mistakes. He couldn't let something he'd worked so hard for just disappear. Nathan had to fight for it. Fight for it until he couldn't fight anymore.

Nathan wracked his brain for anything else Dan could've used as a password. Something had to open that damn safe. It couldn't just be random. It had to be something important. Something Dan thought nobody else knew but himself. It was a long shot to guess what it was, but Nathan had to try. If he gave up, he'd be no better than his father. He refused to be anything like him.

Nathan turned and looked over his father's desk, hoping to find a clue. He opened up a couple of drawers and glanced inside. Nothing but paperwork was in the first one. Nathan vaguely wondered if they were more forged documents before moving onto the top drawer on the right.

There were office supplies in that one. However, just as he was about to shut the drawer, he noticed a metal box toward the back. Nathan picked it up and examined it. There was a lock, preventing him from opening it. It had to contain something important, right? Why else would it be locked?

Now if only he knew where to find the key. Nathan thought for a moment. When he was a few years younger, a freshman, he remembered sneaking into his father's liquor cabinet. His father always kept bottles of the good stuff. Nathan had thought that it would impress his older teammates if he brought the alcohol to a party. He'd been eager to be accepted by them back then—before he outshined them all and took over the team himself.

Dan had kept the key to the cabinet, taped under the drawer of his desk in his study. It was a long shot, but Nathan figured it was worth a try. He reached under the drawer and felt around on the bottom. A huge smile formed on his face when he felt it. Nathan quickly tore the tape off and grabbed the key. He placed it into the lock. It opened instantly. He lifted the lid off of the box. A second later, his eyes widened in absolute shock. It didn't contain important documents or money. The box contained childhood pictures. But not just any childhood pictures. They were of Lucas.

The whole thing was filled with them. Nathan sat back in the seat for a minute, letting it sink in. His father never mentioned Lucas—at least in a good way. He was always referred to as the bastard or some stranger. Dan had acted like Lucas was nothing to him. Hell, he'd even encouraged Nathan to hate him. And he had until last summer when he actually got to know him. But after seeing these photos, Nathan found himself floored.

What did they mean? Did Dan, despite his constant cold and callous demeanor, actually have a heart? If he did, he sure had a hell of a way of showing it. Nathan looked from the pictures of Lucas over to the shelves on the left side of the office. There were all pictures of Nathan and Dan. Most of them having to do with basketball. Some even included his mom. Nathan was surprised that Dan kept them considering the nasty divorce they'd gone through. Nathan looked back at the pictures of Lucas. He glanced back at the pictures on the shelves.

It was then that something popped into his head. It was crazy and most likely a long shot, but it was worth a try. Nathan stood up and walked over to the safe. He typed in Lucas's birthday on the keypad and waited.

"Crap," he mumbled when it didn't work. He looked at his basketball pictures on the shelves. He glanced at Lucas's basketball pictures from when he was in Junior Leagues.

"Maybe. Just maybe…" Nathan trailed off. He punched in his father's jersey number. Then his own. Then Lucas's.

The keypad beeped once. The tiny red light changed to green, and the safe door open.

Nathan smiled. "Well, what do you know."


	37. Chapter 37

**Hey guys, thank you all so much for the reviews. There are only a couple of chapters left in this story, and I hope you'll like this next one. For those of you waiting on an update for "Mine Again," I will be working on it soon. I've been switching off on stories lately and trying to get ahead on IY. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!**

**

* * *

****Chapter 37**

"You are in the biggest trouble ever, Tutor Girl!"

Haley blanched at the high-pitched, angry voice behind her. She really did not want to do this now. Her mind was on overload, and she was completely worn out.

"What did I do now?" Haley was surprised to see that Brooke wasn't alone. Peyton, Jake, and Tim were also with her.

"You hung up on me two days ago and have yet to return any of my phone calls. And seeing as though Lucas is avoiding me and Nathan isn't in school today, that leaves you. We all know something weird is going on, and we demand an answer."

Haley raised an eyebrow. "Demand?"

"What she means is that we're all really worried," Peyton clarified. "It's obvious something big is going on between you, Lucas, and Nathan that you're not telling us. We're not blind."

"We just want to know the truth," Jake added.

Tim nodded in agreement. "Maybe we can help."

Haley ran a hand over her face and exhaled loudly. She wasn't sure what to do. But staring into the very concerned and confused faces of her friends, Haley knew that the secrecy had probably gone on long enough.

"Okay, look, there is something. But—"

"Haley!" Shelley shouted, coming toward her.

"Oh, come on," Brooke groaned to herself in supreme annoyance. "Not now."

"I can't tell you anything now anyway," Haley quickly whispered. "This really isn't the place."

"After school, then?" Peyton asked.

"Sure. Fine. After school," Haley confirmed. "At the River Court."

"We'll be there," Jake promised.

"Haley!"

Haley slammed her locker door shut. "Ugh, I have to go." She was in a bad enough mood already. The last person she felt like seeing this morning was Shelley.

"I'm so glad I found you."

"Yeah, who would've guessed I was actually at my locker," she muttered sarcastically.

"Well, someone is grumpy this morning," Shelley commented—although it did little to curb her current enthusiasm.

"What is it Shelley? Class is going to start soon."

"Everyone is buying their prom tickets, and we're trying to organize our table."

"And?"

"And we need to know who you're bringing."

"I don't even know if I'm going."

"You can't not go. It's senior prom."

Haley shrugged. "I don't have a date. What's the point?" Even if she and Nathan weren't in the middle of a fight at the moment, there's no way they could go together.

It was then that Haley was reminded that today was Monday. Dan's deadline for Nathan had expired. Brooke had mentioned that Nathan wasn't in school today. Haley felt her stomach clench at the thought of what that could mean. Did Nathan decide to go to Duke? Did he decide not to? What did that mean for him? For them?

"That's perfect!" Shelley beamed, dragging Haley out of her distressed thoughts.

Haley frowned. "It is?"

"Yes. Chase doesn't have a date either."

"I'm not going with Chase," she blurted out, without thinking.

"Why not?"

"Because…" Haley trailed off, trying to come up with a legitimate reason. "I'm not interested in him like that."

"So? That doesn't mean that you guys still can't go together," Shelley stated. "Although, you never know. You might just change your mind about him. I'm sure you guys will have a lot of fun, and Chase is a great guy."

"I know he is," Haley replied. "But…" She debated whether to say this or not. She knew Shelley wasn't going to like it.

"But what?" Shelley prompted.

"If I do go to prom, I was actually planning on sitting with my other friends."

"What?"

Haley inwardly cringed at Shelley's shocked, yet edgy tone. "Well, I've known my best friend Lucas forever. And Brooke, Peyton, and I are really close. I can't not sit with them."

They were her true friends. There was no way that Haley was going to ditch them to keep up the Clean Teen farce. Despite Haley's skepticism that she was even going, she knew that senior prom would be even worse if she wasn't with them. If she couldn't go with Nathan, then at least she'd have her friends.

"What about the Clean Teens, Haley? You're part of the group. What, are you just going to abandon us?"

"I'm not abandoning you. If I do end up going, it's not like we won't see each other there," Haley reasoned.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"Shelley, it's not that big a deal," she retorted, getting annoyed herself.

"Of course it is. It's senior prom!"

Haley glanced at her watch. "Look, can we talk about this later? Class starts in, like, three minutes."

"Will Nathan be sitting with them?" Shelley demanded before Haley could fully get away.

"What?"

"You heard me. Will Nathan be sitting with those so-called friends of yours?"

"Firstly, they are my friends. And second, I don't know. Not that it matters," Haley added.

"I think it does. I wasn't going to say anything about this, because I know how touchy you get. But I saw you and Nathan hugging at the championship game."

"So? It was just an innocent hug."

"Not from where I was sitting. You didn't exactly look like you were all that repelled by him. In fact, you both appeared a little too cozy, in my opinion," she declared. "You know you shouldn't be near him."

"You know what, Shelley? Whatever. Believe what you want. I don't care anymore. I don't have to justify myself to you all of the time," she bit out.

"As a Clean Teen, you took an oath to—"

"I remember. You don't have to repeat it."

"Then you'll do well to follow it."

Haley bit down on her bottom lip, hard. She was practically seething inside, fighting back the urge to tell Shelley what she really thought of her. Haley was seriously reaching the end of her rope with all of this.

"I have class," was all Haley could manage to say.

Shelley turned and smiled over her shoulder. "I'll put you down on the seating chart."

Haley's eyes narrowed at her retreating figure. Oh, yes, she'd definitely had enough.

* * *

Nathan entered the school later that afternoon. It was kind of pointless seeing as though he'd missed the entire day. But he wasn't there to see his teachers or collect his books. There was only one person on his mind: Haley. He finally had some good news for her. For them. In fact, it wasn't even good. It was great.

After opening the safe the previous night, Nathan was at last able to get his hands on that ledger. But that wasn't all. Nathan wasn't sure if it was fate or just sheer luck because right underneath the ledger, he'd managed to find his drug test results from last year. Nathan had done a double take at the sight. It was the single document that Dan had been loitering over him all year. It's what had given him all of the power and control.

Nathan had felt relief flood him once he picked it up. This was Dan's bargaining chip, and now he wouldn't be able to have it anymore. Nathan couldn't help but smile at how everything, in an instant, had changed. This was his salvation. His freedom. He could finally have his life back.

With the ledger and drug test in hand, Nathan went straight from the dealership to his mom's house. She'd been dressed in her pajamas and half asleep when she answered the door. But as soon as she saw him, Deb gave him her full attention. At first she was concerned. She didn't understand why he was on her doorstep so late at night.

But after letting him inside, they made their way to the living room. Nathan then proceeded to tell his mother everything that had been going on the last several months. Initially, she'd been shocked. But as Nathan continued his story and told her the things Dan had been putting him through, she instantly became infuriated. He'd seen his mother mad before, but never that irate. Of course she was angry at him, too, for not telling her at first. Nathan knew, though, that she understood his secrecy on some level.

Afterward, Deb demanded that he give her the ledger and the drug test. She said that they would go to the police in the morning. There was absolutely no way that Dan would be getting away with everything he'd done.

The ledger she placed in their family safe before going to bed. The drug test, however, had ended up in the paper shredder. While all of that was going on, Nathan could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket. He knew without a doubt that it was his dad. He'd probably figured out that he wasn't home and was calling to find out where he was. Nathan shut his phone off after the tenth call. Tomorrow, Nathan's whereabouts would be the least of his problems.

And they were. Like planned, Nathan and his mom went to the police. Just before, though, they'd stopped by Lucas's house. Lucas had already left, but Karen was home. Nathan told her that he had to get something that Lucas had been holding for him. He found the spot where Lucas hid Dan's forged documents before quickly returning to the car. They were, once again, off to the police station after that.

When they got there, it took a little over an hour before they could talk to someone. Nathan, with a little input from Deb, recounted their story. They were there for hours giving statements and clarifying facts. It was just an hour before Nathan arrived at the school that the cops finally went to the dealership. His mom went with them and, despite her protests, had allowed Nathan to go, too. After all of the hard work he'd done and hell his father had put him through, Nathan wanted to see Dan get what he deserved.

At first Dan was his usual smooth, cool, calm, and collected self in front of the police. That was until they explained what they were arresting him for. The mention of the ledger and documents made his face turn white. Of course Dan denied it. But at that point, it was too late. The evidence was already stacked against him. His stunned expression as the police put the handcuffs on him and recited his rights quickly turned to one of outrage. And as he looked to Deb and Nathan, that outrage quickly transformed into just rage itself.

Everyone in the building, both employees and customers, stared, flabbergasted, as Dan Scott was led out of the dealership. He didn't go quietly. There was a lot of yelling. But eventually, he was put in the back of a squad car and was gone. It was only then that Nathan felt as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. It really was over.

He couldn't wait to tell Haley. After they left the dealership, Nathan had his mom drive him straight to the school. And here he was now—standing in the hallway by Haley's locker, waiting for the final bell to ring.

Nathan checked his watch. _One more minute_, he thought excitedly. It felt like forever, but the bell finally rang.

The hallway filled up fast as everyone left their classes and walked to their lockers, eager to go home. It was another couple of minutes before Nathan spotted Haley coming down the hallway. Her hair was slightly askew and she looked tired, but she was still beautiful. He figured that she must still be reeling from their huge fight the other night. Not to mention worried about what today would bring for him and their relationship.

Nathan noticed Haley pause for a second when she saw him. She frowned but continued forward.

"Hey," he greeted her quietly.

"Hey." She glanced around at the crowded and busy hallway. "What are you doing here, Nathan?"

"I needed to talk to you."

She shot another nervous look at the people surrounding them. "Now?"

Nathan smiled. "Yes, now."

"Let me get my things first and we can go—"

"We don't have to go anywhere."

"What?" Haley questioned in confusion.

He could feel people's eyes drifting to them. He knew the attention was making Haley more anxious by the second. "We don't have to go anywhere. We don't have to pretend anymore," he told her.

"What are you talking about? What did you do?" she asked cautiously.

"I went back to the dealership last night."

"You did?" She stared at him open-mouthed. "What happened?"

"I opened the safe."

"You didn't." Her voice was a mixture of wonder and disbelief.

He nodded and grinned. "I did. I got the ledger."

"Nathan…"

"And the drug test," he whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

Her eyes widened in total bewilderment as her books slipped from her hands. She glanced between him and the books, flustered. "That was in there, too?"

"Yeah, it was."

"Oh my God. Did you take it?"

"Of course I took it." He smirked.

"And…?" she prodded, her voice holding the same excitement that he felt.

"I brought everything to my mom last night. I told her the whole story," Nathan explained. "We shredded the test and then this morning, we went to the police."

"What'd they say? What'd they do?" Her voice was eager, yet hesitant.

"They arrested my father about an hour ago."

Haley's jaw dropped open. "Not uh."

"Yup. He was handcuffed and thrown into the back of the squad car and everything."

"Oh my God. I'm…I'm…I can't believe it. That's so great." She put her hand quickly to her mouth and blushed. "Um, I mean, great that he was, uh, arrested. Well, not that your father being arrested is a good thing. But in his case, after everything he's done, I guess that is—"

Nathan chuckled in amusement as Haley tried to backtrack. He assumed that she was trying to not offend him. "Hales, it's fine. I know what you mean. And it is a good thing. Dan's hurt a lot of people. What goes around comes around."

"So, it's okay now. You're free, right?"

"Completely," Nathan declared with a huge grin. It disappeared from his face a moment later when he saw her eyes water. A tear slid down Haley's cheek. "Hales, why are you crying?"

She hastily wiped at her face. "Ugh, I'm sorry. I'm not crying because I'm sad or anything. I'm…I'm just so happy for you."

"Come here." He pulled Haley into his arms. She buried her head in his chest. His hold on her tightened, and he turned them slightly. Even more people were openly gawking at them. Most seemed to have forgotten it was the end of the school day. They'd rather stay and watch the show than leave.

"I was so worried about you." Her voice was muffled against his shirt.

"I know, but you don't have to be anymore. It's over, baby," he quietly soothed. "It's all over."

Haley tried desperately to get a hold of her emotions. Crying in the middle of a jam-packed hallway with all of their peers watching them wasn't exactly the kind of attention she wanted. She took deep breaths as Nathan's hands rubbed her back and ran through her hair. She wasn't prepared for this kind of reaction. Hell, she wasn't even prepared to learn that all of their drama with Dan was officially over. Haley had feared the worst all day.

"And I'm sorry about the other night," he apologized. "I didn't want to hear it, but you were right. I shouldn't have given up like that."

Haley pulled back to look at him. His hands came up to wipe away the moisture on her cheeks. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you. I just wanted what's best for you. You should be able to have whatever you want."

"I do," Nathan said, watching her intensely. "Believe me, I do."

"Wait," Haley halted him as he started to lean in. "What about…?" She nodded at the now exceedingly large group of people blatantly staring at them. You could practically hear a pin drop in the hallway it was so quiet.

Nathan gave her that confident smirk of his. "Let them watch." He then crashed his lips onto hers without a moment's hesitation. It only took about a second before the catcalls, applause, and whistling started.

Neither one paid any attention. They were too wrapped up in each other to care. Haley clung to Nathan as his mouth devoured hers. She couldn't believe they could be together like this out in the open again. It felt so surreal.

"What in the hell is going on here?" a high-pitched voice shrilled.

Instantly, the pair broke apart. Haley knew that that voice couldn't simply be ignored.

"Oh, hi, Shelley," Haley said in an innocent voice.

"Don't you 'hi, Shelley' me!" She wasn't alone. The rest of the Clean Teens were right behind her. They didn't appear all that happy either.

"Look—" Haley began in a calm voice.

"Oh, I'm looking," Shelley interrupted. "And I sure as hell don't like what I'm seeing."

"We were only kissing."

"Kissing. Is that what you call it? Because it looked like you two were practically having dry sex in the hallway!"

Haley felt her face flush as the people around them snickered. She didn't know whether she was more embarrassed or infuriated by Shelley's statement. "We were not!"

"Regardless, you're soiling the Clean Teen name." The blonde folded her arms. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I didn't soil anything. It's not against the rules to kiss someone."

"Maybe not. But it is against the rules to be kissing someone like him."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Haley fired back, getting angry.

"You know exactly what I mean. I told you to stay away from him."

"I can be with whoever I want. You don't own me, Shelley."

"You know the rules. You're not allowed to date anyone outside of the group."

"That's not in the manual."

"It doesn't have to be. Everyone knows that."

"Well, that rule sucks. And not only is it unfair, but it's completely unrealistic!" Haley argued.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Shelley exclaimed. "You took an oath, Haley. You're supposed to be one of us. As a Clean Teen, you have a responsibility to be honest and pure. You've completely betrayed that. How long has this been going on?

"Hales," Nathan murmured. "You don't have to—"

"It's fine, Nathan. I'm sick of lying." Haley returned her gaze to Shelley's. "You want honesty? Well, here it is. Nathan and I never broke up in the first place."

Confusion and shock passed over everyone's faces as they began whispering. Shelley, on the other hand, was seething.

"What?" she gritted out.

"We never broke up. We've been secretly dating this whole time. And while I won't divulge the reasons why seeing as though that's our business, I will say that I don't for a second regret it."

Shelley shook hear head in disappointment. "You know, I wanted to believe you. And when you told me nothing was going on, I took your word for it despite my suspicions. But this is unforgiveable," she declared. "It would be one thing if you felt a little remorse for your actions, but you clearly don't."

"I'm not asking for forgiveness. You can't help who you love, Shelley."

"It's called self-control."

"Just because I'm in love with someone who is not a Clean Teen does not mean that I don't have a handle on myself."

"Oh please," she scoffed. "You're dating Nathan Scott for crying out loud! You actually expect me to believe that you're still a virgin after all this time."

A few people laughed while others listened even more intently. Nathan rolled his eyes.

Haley, on the other hand, turned crimson. Although it wasn't something she wanted to announce, she couldn't let Shelley get away with bad mouthing her in front of the entire school. "Not that it's any of your damn business, but I am," she proudly declared. "I don't need some stupid shirt or self-righteous club to stay true to my convictions. And Nathan understands that. Maybe if you spent more time getting to know people rather than judging and condemning them, Clean Teens wouldn't have such a bad wrap."

"There's either right or wrong. There is no in between. I'm really disappointed in you, Haley," Shelley commented with a shake of her head. "You leave me with no choice. You're out of Clean Teens."

"That's completely fine by me. I'll take kissing Nathan over your crazy form of abstinence any day," she retorted with a cheeky smile. Haley had had enough. She was done trying to please Shelley. She knew who she was inside and that's all that mattered.

More snickers and laughter could be heard from the people surrounding them. Nathan just smirked. His girlfriend could be such a spitfire when she wanted to be.

"I'll also be needing that shirt back," Shelley informed her with a hard glare. "You no longer deserve to wear it."

Haley held her stare and lifted her chin in defiance. She so badly wanted to wipe that conceited look off of Shelley's face. Feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline and confidence flow through her veins, Haley made a split-second decision. "Fine." She reached for the hem of her shirt before swiftly pulling it over her head.

Nathan's mouth, along with everyone else's, dropped open in absolute astonishment. "Haley…" he trailed off.

He couldn't help his eyes from honing in on her chest. She was wearing a silky white bra. Her cleavage was pushed up just enough. There was also the exposed skin of her creamy and toned stomached. His fingers itched to touch it. God, she looked hot. It was only when he realized that everyone else was seeing it, too, that his initial shock turned to outrage.

"Take it," Haley said and threw the shirt at an offended Shelley. Afterward, she bent down to pick up her messenger bag and books. "And FYI, being in a serious relationship with someone does not automatically mean you have to have sex. Maybe you should put that in your stupid manual."

She whipped around and took off down the hall. Nathan quickly followed after her, shooting daggers at every guy that was ogling his girlfriend. He finally caught up with her outside.

"Hales," he said, trying to get her attention. More people started to stare as they passed by. Nathan took his own shirt off and grabbed her arm to halt her. He helped her put it on as she stood frozen in place.

"I can't believe I just did that," Haley muttered, dazed, as she came down from her high. The enormity of her actions was beginning to set in. Had she actually just taken her shirt off in front of the entire school just to prove a point to Shelley?

"Me either," Nathan griped.

She ran a hand through her hair. "That was so insane…and yet oddly liberating."

"Whatever it was, don't do it again." He might just have to kill every guy in the school who saw her. The fantasies they were probably having at the moment from the display were enough to make Nathan's blood boil.

"We should go," Haley suggested. Nathan nodded in agreement. She clutched her books tightly against her chest as they walked. Haley sighed a second later. The whole school was probably talking about it by now. "I'm never going to live that one down."


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

"Woo, take it off!"

"Yeah, let's see the goods again, Tutor Girl!"

Haley's whole face flamed up as she and Nathan walked onto the River Court. Their friends were already sitting on the picnic tables waiting for them. Judging from Peyton and Brooke's current ribbing, it was obvious they'd seen her showdown with Shelley.

"Must you torture me?" Haley groaned.

"You mean like how you tortured all of the boys at school by revealing that sexy bod of yours?" Peyton teased.

Brooke laughed out loud. "There are going to be some wet dreams in Tree Hill tonight."

"You guys!" Haley admonished. She probably looked like a cherry by now.

"I'm with Haley. Can you guys shut the hell up?" Lucas questioned. "It's bad enough I had to see it. I don't need to be reminded of it."

Nathan glared at his brother. Normally he'd have no problem with Lucas being grossed out by certain things pertaining to Haley. The two had been best friends forever. They were practically like siblings themselves. But Lucas's commented sounded like more of an insult than anything else. And the fact was Haley was hot as hell, best friend or not.

"Are you saying my girlfriend isn't hot?"

"No. All I'm saying is that I'd rather not remember the image of my best friend's breasts." He shuddered. "It's like incest or something. It's just wrong."

"They looked pretty good to me," Tim commented, causing Nathan to shoot daggers at him. "What?"

"Watch it, Dim," Nathan warned.

"I'm just saying what all the other guys were thinking. Right, Jagielski?" Tim nudged Jake next to him.

Jake raised his hands in surrender when Nathan's gaze shifted to him. "No comment, man. I'm staying out of this one."

"Come on, we all know Tutor Girl is hot," Brooke spoke up. "And can I just say how proud I was to see you stick it to Shelley. Talk about going out with a bang."

"It's not like I planned on doing it," Haley reasoned.

"So what exactly led to the striptease?" Peyton prodded.

"I don't know. I guess I just couldn't stand Shelley's smug and self-righteous attitude anymore. Then she demanded to have her shirt back, and I thought what would piss her off more than a Clean Teen baring some skin."

"And bare it you did," Tim joked. He stopped mid-chuckle when Nathan shot him another look.

"You're looking a little tweaked, Nate," Jake observed.

"I wonder why," he muttered sarcastically.

Brooke smirked. "Boy Toy, are you jealous?"

"Gee, I don't know. Every single jackass in the school just saw my girlfriend's chest. What do you think?"

"Sorry," Haley muttered sheepishly.

Nathan sighed and pulled her into his side. "I know you didn't do it on purpose." He gave her an affectionate squeeze. "It just sucks that I'm now going to have to beat everyone's asses."

"Way to go all cave man, Nate," Peyton kidded.

"Speaking of cave man," Lucas stated. He glanced at Nathan's bare chest and took off his sweatshirt.

"Thanks," Nathan said when he handed it to him. Haley was still wearing his shirt that he'd given her. He hadn't been able to find anything else in his car on the way there.

Thinking about their drive to the River Court, Nathan remembered Haley filling him in on exactly why they were there in the first place. "So, Haley tells me that you guys called this little meeting because you think there's some big conspiracy going on."

"Oh, we don't think. We know," Brooke corrected. "And seeing as though you and Tutor Girl were making out in the hallway before Shelley interruptus definitely means that something big has gone down."

"Is it what I think it is?" Lucas questioned, glancing at the pair.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"That's awesome, man." Lucas and Nathan bumped fists. "How'd you do it?"

"I went back last night and did a little digging in Dan's desk. Then I got an idea of what the password might be, and it was right."

"What was the password?"

Brooke frowned and exchanged confused gazes with the others. "What password?"

"I'll, um, tell you later," Nathan told Lucas. He wasn't sure how his brother would react to the fact that Dan had not only included his jersey number in the code, but also had tons of childhood pictures of him in a lock box. Lucas had grown up hating Dan and believing that their father never wanted him. And it's not like Dan had ever proven otherwise. This new discovery could really screw with his head.

"What password?" Brooke repeated.

"And where did you go?" Peyton jumped in.

Tim folded his arms and pouted. "How come I wasn't invited?"

"It wasn't anything fun, Tim. Trust me."

"But what was it?" Jake urged. "Did it have to do with your dad?" They all knew that Nathan's problems stemmed from his father.

Haley nodded for Nathan to go ahead. It was finally time to tell everyone the truth.

"Yes, it was Dan."

"What happened?" Peyton prodded.

"It's a long story."

Brooke smiled and folded her hands in her lap, not backing down. "We've got time."

Nathan took a deep breath before launching into the entire ordeal. He watched as his friends' expressions changed throughout his story. They'd go from shocked to angry to sad to a whole other range of emotions. By the time Nathan was finished, Brooke, Peyton, Jake, and Tim were all stunned into silence.

"Oh my God," Peyton finally muttered.

Tim shook his head. "That's messed up, yo."

"Wait, so your father was actually arrested today?" Brooke inquired.

"Yes."

"And you were there?"

"Yes."

"Damn," Jake muttered.

"It'll probably be on the news tonight." Dan Scott was one of the wealthiest people in town. The dealership was a major company. Everyone bought their cars from Dan Scott Motors. Not to mention that his father was a legend from his basketball days. This type of scandal was gold for the media.

"I'm sorry, Nate," Lucas said.

"It's okay. I'm just glad that it's over." And it was the truth. Nathan didn't give a damn what other people thought. As long as he was free to live his life the way that he wanted, nothing else mattered.

"So, how long do you think he'll be in jail for?" Peyton questioned.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Tim asked. "We could've helped. I've watched tons of Bond movies. I could've been your lookout."

"It's not like we didn't want to say anything," Haley explained. "We wanted to tell you all so badly. But we were just worried that if too many people knew, then we wouldn't have has much control over the situation."

"What, do you think we'd tell or something?" There was no mistaking the hurt in Brooke's voice.

"No. We trust you guys," Nathan said. "It's just that this was my problem. I didn't want to drag everyone into it. And seeing as though Dan is Lucas's father and whatever happens to me affects mine and Haley's relationship, they needed to be in on it."

"I can't believe you were able to keep this from me this long, Tutor Girl."

Haley shrugged guiltily. "It's not like it was easy."

"Is there anything else we should know about?" Peyton questioned. "You guys aren't involved in some crack cocaine drug ring, too, are you? I mean, this is Tree Hill."

They all laughed, and Nathan knew it was a sign that they weren't angry or upset about being out of the loop. His friends understood the situation and predicament he, Haley, and Lucas were in.

"No. That's it," Nathan replied.

"Good," Brooke declared. "And now that that's out of the way, we've got some even more important business to discuss."

Lucas furrowed his brow. "What?"

"Prom!"

* * *

"Damn, where is Haley when I need her?"

"Hey, I take offense to that. I'm just as smart as she is."

"Maybe so, but at least she's prettier to look at," Nathan teased.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Do you want my help or not?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Jackass," Lucas muttered before turning back to his own books.

The pair was studying at Lucas's house for their upcoming finals. Haley was supposed to have joined them, but she had detention that afternoon. Unfortunately, her little shirt-removing incident had not gone unnoticed by one member of Tree Hill High's faculty. Whitey had seen everything, quite literally, and had given her detention for the next two weeks.

At first Haley had been devastated. She'd never gotten detention before in her life. But Nathan had reasoned with her and pointed out that if it was anyone else but Whitey, she probably would've gotten suspended for her actions. Whitey was definitely better to deal with than Principal Turner. Although, Nathan wasn't too comfortable knowing that his coach had seen Haley's assets, too. Why the hell was everyone still in school at that time? Didn't they want to go home?

Nathan smirked. "Don't be so sensitive, you baby. You know I'm only joking."

"I may be your big brother, but I'm also a human being, Nathan. I have feelings," Lucas cried mockingly.

"Cry me a river, then."

His sad act gone, Lucas narrowed his eyes and shook his head disapprovingly. "You're such an ass. I don't know how Haley puts up with you."

"She says it's because I'm hot. Someone had to get the good looks in the family."

"Let me rephrase that. You're a conceited ass," Lucas chuckled.

Nathan shrugged casually. "Can't win them all."

They laughed and were then quiet for a couple of minutes afterward. Nathan was right in the middle of reviewing some of his notes when he heard Lucas clear his throat.

"What?"

"I, uh, was just curious. Anymore news on the Dan front?"

Nathan shook his head. "No."

It had been a little over a week since Dan was arrested. Since then, Nathan had moved out of the beach house and back in with his mom. His dad had eventually made bail and was out of jail for the time being. There was supposed to be a trial coming up within the next month or two. Luckily, Dan didn't try to contact them and kept his distance. Nathan was sure his father got the message by now that he didn't want him in his life.

"He's gonna be found guilty. With all the evidence they have piled up against him, there's no way he can get away with it."

"I know. But then again, he's Dan. You know he always has something up his sleeve."

"If I were him, I wouldn't be worrying about my sleeves. I'd be more concerned with dropping the soap," Lucas joked.

Nathan laughed out loud. "Nasty."

"It happens. And if anyone deserves it, he does."

"Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?" Lucas questioned a minute later.

Nathan sighed and faced his brother. "I, uh, I've been kind of debating whether or not I should tell you something."

The blonde frowned. "Tell me what?"

Nathan hesitated for a moment before deciding that he should just get it over with. Lucas had a right to know. "You know how you asked me about Dan's password last week?"

"Oh, yeah. You still haven't told me what it was, by the way."

"I know. I've been putting it off."

"Why?"

"It kind of had something to do with you."

Lucas's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Me?"

Nathan nodded.

"What about me?"

"The password was all of our jersey numbers—Dan's, mine, and yours," Nathan clarified.

"Oh. That's, uh…unexpected."

Nathan could see that his brother was trying to play it cool. But the intrigue in his eyes was evident. "That's not all."

Lucas motioned for him to continue.

"The only reason I even thought to put all of our jersey numbers in as a password was because I found this lock box in his desk. It had all pictures of you when you were a kid."

His brother's eyes widened as his body froze. That was obviously the last thing Lucas had expected to hear.

"I know that he's been a complete dick to you, and I didn't want to confuse that. But I just thought you had the right to know," Nathan explained.

"Luke?" he prodded when he was still silent.

Lucas chuckled humorlessly under his breath. "It figures. The guy does one semi-decent thing that might actually prove he has a heart, and he keeps it locked up to himself…bastard."

"I'm sorry," Nathan murmured regretfully. Seeing the torn and wounded look on his brother's face right now had him wondering if he should've just kept that little fact to himself.

"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault," Lucas assured him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "It doesn't change anything. Actions speak louder than words. And it's not like Dan ever made an effort to get to know me or be a part of my life."

"I know you're probably not going to like this, but you should consider yourself lucky. I've had his attention all of my life and look where it got me. I had to freaking send him to jail to get him to leave me alone," Nathan stated. "What does that say?"

"It says that you're in control of your own life. And although this whole situation is messed up—there's really no denying that—you should be proud that you fought back. Most people would've buckled under the pressure by now."

"Believe me, I almost did," Nathan muttered.

"But you didn't," he pointed out.

"It's not like I did it by myself."

Lucas glanced at him knowingly. "Haley."

"Yeah. I honestly don't know what I'd do without her."

"She has a funny way of making you need her in your life. I learned that one early on."

Nathan smiled. "Me, too."

"So, did you guys figure out the college situation yet or what?" Lucas inquired. "I mean, now that Dan's out of the way you can pretty much do whatever you want."

"We talked before, but we never finalized anything."

"The clock's ticking," Lucas reminded him.

"I know. Our deadlines are almost up. But I know what I'm going to do."

"You do?"

Nathan nodded.

Lucas motioned for him to continue. "What is it?"

"Look, you can't tell Haley. I'm going to surprise her."

"I won't say anything, man. Promise."

"Okay, so I'm—"

"Hey, guys!" a female voice interrupted. The brothers' heads shot up as Haley entered the living room.

"Hey," they greeted, trying to act normal.

"How'd you get in?" Lucas questioned.

Haley laughed. "Come on, Luke. We've been best friends forever. You think I don't know where your spare key is?" she teased.

"Well, I guess I'll be having to change that hiding spot now."

"You know I'll still find it." She took a seat between Lucas and Nathan on the couch and glanced between them. "So, boys, what did I miss?"

* * *

"Oh my God, we look so hot!"

"You think?" Peyton joked.

"I still cannot believe you talked me into wearing this dress," Haley muttered as she stared at herself in the full-length mirror.

"Tutor Girl, you look stunning. Nathan isn't going to know what hit him."

Peyton bobbed her head in agreement. "Seriously, you rock in that dress."

Haley glanced at her reflection, once again. Senior prom was supposed to be one of the biggest nights of a girl's life. And according to Brooke, Haley just had to get the perfect dress. They'd gone shopping with Peyton and Kat last week. It had taken a while for them all to find something.

Haley loved the color of her prom dress. It looked like deep cherry wine. The actual dress itself, however, was a little more risqué than she was used to. The bust was pleated and heart shaped. It showed off a good amount of cleavage. A slit ran up the side and ended high on her thigh. There was also a small, centered crystal belt and sequined straps leading to an open back.

Haley kept fidgeting with the straps, praying that they wouldn't fall down while she danced later. "I feel like my breasts are going to spill out of this thing," she complained.

"From what I've heard, it's not like anyone hasn't seen it before," Kat quipped. Brooke and Peyton busted out laughing.

"I really hate you guys sometimes. You know that?"

Brooke flicked her hand in dismissal. "Oh, you love us and you know it. And when everyone starts drooling over you in that dress, you'll be thanking us."

"Don't hold your breath," Haley muttered as she put on a pair of dangly diamond earrings. They were silver to match the sequins of her dress.

Haley fixed her hair. She had it pulled back into a large, twisted bun low on her head. A few jeweled clips were placed on top to make it fancier. Haley also had a loose strand of hair framing the front of her face on each side. She had to admit, Kat really did a great job with it.

"Girls, the boys are here," Lydia called to them from downstairs.

"We'll be down in a couple of minutes, Mom," Haley shouted back. They'd all agreed to meet up at Haley's house beforehand. It didn't matter to Haley, but her parents really wanted to take pictures of their youngest child's prom. It was as if they were finally realizing that this was the last time they'd get to do this. She was the only James child living at home now, after all.

"Okay, how do I look?" Brooke questioned, spinning around. Her dress was gold and had tons of sequins along the straps and waist. The design was very intricate and beautiful. Totally Brooke.

"Gorgeous," Peyton assured her. Haley smiled at Peyton's dress. It was edgy yet elegant—just like her. The whole dress was made of sequins, but it wasn't just one color. It went from silver to gold to dark blue along the entire dress. Just under the bust was a large patch of black sequins to draw attention to her waist and offset the other colors.

"At least you can bend over in yours," Kat mumbled.

"I told you to get a long one," Brooke replied.

Kat had decided to be a little more daring. Her blue dress was short and had a heart-shaped glitter neckline, an empire sash, and multi layers of tulle with a curled bottom to get a puffy effect. There was also a huge bow on the back.

"But this one was so cute."

"Well, I hope you're wearing underwear, then," Peyton snickered.

"Haley!" Lydia called again.

"The guys must be getting impatient."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Typical."

"They must be going crazy. I love it!" Brooke beamed. "Let's go. I have to see their reactions."

"Lead the way, Tigger."

* * *

"Where the heck are they?" Lucas mumbled, checking his watch. "Brooke was the one saying she didn't want to be late. People are probably already arriving by now."

"You know how women are," Jake said. "Their idea of early is two hours late."

"You won't mind so much when you see them," Karen commented as she came down the stairs with Deb and Lydia.

"How'd they look?" Jimmy questioned.

"Aw, they're so adorable!" Lydia gushed. "Get the camera ready. They're coming now."

Nathan followed his friends' lead and looked to the staircase. Brooke, naturally, was the first to descend. She always loved to be at the head of the line. Nathan smirked when he saw his brother's eyes roam up and down. Lucas was looking and, judging by the dopey expression on his face, he was liking.

Peyton and Kat came next. Jake and Tim's expressions were no different than his brother's. All of the girls looked good. But there was only one in particular that Nathan was dying to see. Finally, he spotted her.

Nathan's jaw dropped open when he took in Haley's dress. Damn, it was tight. Every single curve of her body was outlined by the smooth fabric. And when he saw the amount of skin showing, he had to swallow back a groan. His fingers were itching with the urge to run his hand up her silky, exposed thigh. When she was finally standing in front of him, he could see the blush coloring her cheeks.

"You're staring," she whispered.

Nathan smirked. "So I am." He placed a hand on her back. This time, he did emit a low moan when all he felt was her bare skin. "Damn, you're going to kill me, Hales."

"So you like the dress?" She didn't even have to ask. Haley could see it in the way Nathan's eyes had darkened. But that didn't mean that she didn't want to hear it.

"You look beautiful, Hales," Nathan declared in a husky voice. He closed the small gap between them and kissed her.

They broke away a moment later when the sound of a camera flashing could be heard.

"Mom!" Haley exclaimed, embarrassed.

"What? You two looked so cute kissing."

"So? It doesn't mean you have to photograph it."

"Oh, hush. It's your senior prom. We have to capture the memories."

"Let's get another of you kids," Jimmy suggested.

"Wait," Deb interjected. "Nathan, you might want to…" She gestured to his mouth. "You have a little…"

Haley's cheeks flamed up when she saw the imprint of her lipstick on his mouth. She quickly wiped it away for him. Much to her annoyance, her boyfriend had a satisfied smile on his face the whole time.

"Mom, we're going to be late," Lucas complained as Karen continued to snap away.

"Just let us get a group picture. Then you kids can go," Jimmy stated.

The group of friends quickly got together to pose for the cameras. Ten minutes later, after more complaining from Lucas and Haley, they were finally able to leave.

They climbed into the white stretched limo parked outside. The excitement was palpable as they started to head towards the school—eager to begin what was sure to be one of the best nights of their lives.


	39. Chapter 39

**Hey guys, so this is the last chapter. I want to thank everyone who's supported this story and taken the time to review. I truly appreciate your feedback. I'll also be updating "Mine Again" today for those of you reading that story. Thanks again and let me know what you think!**

**

* * *

****Chapter 39**

Haley couldn't stop smiling. It was physically impossible. She was having the time of her life. After everything that had occurred over the past school year, she would've never guessed that she and Nathan would've been able to go to prom together. But here they were with all of their friends, making the most of it.

She leaned her head back against Nathan's chest. His hands on her hips automatically tightened.

"What are you so happy about?" he whispered into her ear.

"I'm just surprised that we're actually dancing. I thought that with your lack of rhythm we'd automatically be stuck at the table all night," she teased.

Nathan spun her around in his arms so that she was facing him. "Is that so?"

She nodded, holding back a giggle.

"I'll give you a lack of rhythm."

Before Haley could even protest, Nathan had taken hold of her once more and dipped her. Haley let out a squeal that was easily drowned out by the loud music.

"Nathan!" she bellowed, laughing, when he pulled her back up.

"How'd you like that?"

"That was actually pretty good."

"See. I'm not a total lost cause. Besides," he added, "it's also the perfect excuse for me to touch you the whole night."

"Since when does Nathan Scott need an excuse?"

"Since I saw how hot you look in this dress."

Haley glanced away as her face flushed. Nathan had barely taken his eyes, or hands, off of her the entire night. And despite the fact that they were surrounded by tons of people, which would normally embarrass her, neither could she. Nathan looked so handsome in his tux. She just couldn't resist running her hands up his biceps or down his broad chest. She could feel his muscles flexing through the fabric, and it was slowly driving her crazy.

Haley shivered when she felt Nathan's hand stroke the exposed skin of her back, once again, while the other massaged the curve of her waist. Every once in a while his hand would dip lower and come into contact with her bare thigh.

Nathan noticed Haley bite her lip when he started caressing her. It was like his hands had taken on a mind of their own. He couldn't stop touching her, and he didn't want to. After months of hiding their relationship, Nathan refused to rein in his desire for his girlfriend. People would watch no matter what they did. There were a number of reasons why they'd been getting an excessive amount of attention lately.

The first was that people were genuinely in shock that the school's head jock and tutor had truly gotten back together—or rather, revealed that they were always together and had just started showing it now. Then there was the issue of Nathan's father being arrested. Like predicted, it had been a huge story that the local media refused to let go of. What floored people even more was the fact that Nathan and his mom had been the ones to get him in trouble in the first place.

And last but certainly not least, there was the incident between Shelley and Haley a couple of weeks ago. Their peers were still recounting the tale in which Haley had shown up the arrogant Clean Teen and managed to flash most of the school in the process. Nathan still wasn't happy about that one, but what could he do?

"Kiss me," Haley ordered, interrupting his thoughts.

Nathan gladly obliged and captured her mouth in his. The kiss was fiery and intense. Haley mewled softly as their tongues battled and explored. Nathan could hardly suppress a groan of his own as Haley's fingertips scratched the nape of his neck. They broke apart moments later, breathless.

Haley noticed a bead of sweat roll down the side of Nathan's face and wiped it away. He looked just as hot as she felt. "Did you want to sit down for a while?" she suggested.

"Yeah." The dance floor was packed and there was hardly any air. Not to mention that he and Haley were generating quite a bit of heat on their own.

Haley took Nathan's hand and led the way to their table. Their friends were already sitting down, looking tired and overheated themselves.

"It's about time you guys came up for air," Peyton stated with an impish grin.

"Why?" Nathan asked as they took a seat. He pulled Haley's feet onto his lap and took off her heels for her. He knew they'd been bothering her all evening from dancing so much.

"Don't act all coy," Kat said, sharing amused glances with the others.

Haley eyed their friends. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on," Tim chuckled. "You two seriously looked like you were seconds away from getting your freak on on the dance floor."

"We did not," Haley automatically denied.

Brooke guffawed. "Yes, you did. I need a cold shower just from watching the both of you."

Haley's mouth dropped open, stunned, as Nathan just rolled his eyes.

"I think I've officially gone blind," Lucas declared humorously.

Jake snickered. "Hey, I even overheard Principal Turner talking to Whitey. He was going to have Coach go over and break the two of you up if you didn't tone it down."

"He did not," Nathan challenged.

"I'm serious, man."

"It's not funny," Haley admonished when everyone, including Nathan, busted out laughing.

"Well, Haley James, times sure have changed," Brooke taunted. "You've gone from shy tutor to superstar's girlfriend to Clean Teen to resident bad girl. I'm impressed."

"I am not the resident bad girl," she denied. "We were just making out. We weren't as bad as them." She nodded back to the dance floor. Ted and Nicki were grinding against each other while placing sloppy kisses all over each other's faces. It didn't take long for Principal Turner to zero in on them and break them up.

"Close enough," Kat joked.

"Hey, after the crap we've gone through, I think Haley and I deserve a pass on the PDA," Nathan declared.

"Keep it clean, kids. Just keep it clean," Jake replied in a mockingly stern voice.

"Don't look at us. We weren't the ones who disappeared for awhile," Haley said while eying Brooke and Lucas.

"We left something in the limo," Brooke excused.

"Or maybe you just went for a quickie," Peyton argued.

When Haley saw Lucas' face flush and look away, she knew it was true. "Oh my God, you so did!"

"No way," Kat laughed.

"I'm not admitting to anything."

"I know you, B. Davis. You so did it."

A disgusted expression formed on Jake's face. "In our limo?"

"That's just wrong, bro," Nathan commented.

"I hope the seats were scotch guarded," Tim snorted.

"Wherever you did it, that's where you're sitting," Kat proclaimed. "That's nasty."

"I told you it was a bad idea," Lucas mumbled to Brooke.

"That's not what you were saying when we were fu—"

"Okay, we get the point," Haley quickly interrupted. The thought of her friends doing it, let alone in their limo, was enough to make her lose her dinner.

"Can we please talk about something else?" Lucas pleaded.

"Fine by me. I've been meaning to ask Haley something anyway," Peyton spoke up. "What's this I hear about you being our valedictorian?"

Brooke sat up in her seat excitedly. "Oh my God, are you?"

"Yes, I am."

"That's awesome, Haley," Jake complimented. "When did you find out?"

"A couple of days ago."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Brooke demanded.

"I was going to, but I've been having some trouble writing my speech. I didn't want everyone to make a big deal of it just yet." Graduation was next Monday—meaning she only had about three days left to finish her speech. It didn't help that she had a major case of nerves and writer's block.

Peyton nudged her. "Of course it's a big deal."

"Did you know?" Lucas asked Nathan.

"Yeah, I knew."

Lucas pouted. "Damn, Haley, how could you tell him and not me? I thought the best friend was privy to that kind of information."

"Boyfriend trumps best friend," Nathan proclaimed, smirking.

"He caught me writing it," she clarified.

"Is it finished now?" Jake inquired.

"Almost."

"I'm sure you knew all along that you were going to be valedictorian. I'm surprised you didn't write the speech ages ago," Brooke stated.

"I didn't know for sure. And it's not an easy thing to write. I mean, this is graduation we're talking about. It's the end of one chapter and the beginning of another," Haley explained. "I can't just put anything down. It has to mean something special."

"God, it's scary," Peyton said after a moment of silence.

"It's a big, bad world out there. And it's going to just chew us up and spit us out if we don't watch it."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Way to be optimistic, Tim."

"Okay, I can see what you're all thinking, and we are not going to go there. Not tonight. This is no time for sulking or worrying about the future. This is senior prom, and we are going to be happy and live it up, damn it!" Brooke proclaimed. "Now everybody get up off your butts so we can dance."

"But—" the others started to protest.

"Now!"

* * *

"Mmm…I love this song," Haley muttered. Her head was laying on Nathan's chest as they swayed to the music.

"I would if I knew what it was."

Haley lifted her head and rolled her eyes. "We need to broaden your horizons musically."

"Hey, my horizons are just fine." He gave her a cheeky grin.

"I'm not even going to go there now," Haley muttered, laughing, and rested her head back down. She smiled when she saw their friends dancing with their own significant others next to them. Everyone looked so happy and content.

Once the song was over, Principal Turner walked onstage. "Excuse me," he said into the microphone. "If you'd all quiet down, it's time to crown the prom king and queen."

"Finally," Brooke squealed while readjusting her dress and hair.

"How do you know you're going to win?" Peyton teased.

"Come on, P. Sawyer, it's me."

Haley leaned up to whisper in Nathan's ear, "I think I know who's going to be king."

"Shut up," Nathan playfully chided.

"It could always be me." Lucas puffed up his chest dramatically.

Jake mirrored his actions. "Or me."

"The Tim could beat you all." Tim flexed his muscles.

Everyone rolled their eyes at that one as Principal Turner opened the first envelope.

"Tree Hill High's prom king is…Nathan Scott!"

"Aw, man," Tim sighed.

"It was rigged," Lucas joked.

"It was not," Haley retorted and gave Nathan a small push towards the stage. They all clapped along with the rest of the crowd.

Jake sniggered as they placed the crown on Nathan's head and handed him a scepter. "He can have it."

Peyton smacked him in the gut. "Hey, be nice. It's pretty cool to be the king of the school."

"Since I'm his best friend, does that mean that I'm second in line if he's assassinated?" Tim questioned.

"No, Tim," they all answered.

"Who cares about the king," Brooke said. "The queen is the important one."

"Take it easy, Tigger. I'm sure you'll get your crown. Don't worry." Brooke was the most popular girl in school. There was no way that she wouldn't be crowned queen.

"And Tree Hill High's prom queen is…" Principal Turner trailed off for a dramatic affect.

A few seconds passed and Brooke looked like she was going to combust. "Come on," Brooke urged impatiently.

"Haley James!" he finally announced.

"What?" her friends questioned and looked to her.

Haley stood rooted in her spot, stunned. She had to be hallucinating or dreaming. There was no way that this could be happening right now. There was no way she could actually be prom queen. This just didn't happen to tutors and former Clean Teens.

People were watching her while clapping and whistling. Could it be true?

"Miss James," Principal Turner said when she didn't come up right away.

"You better get up there." Lucas pushed her toward the stage like she'd done to Nathan. Thinking of her boyfriend, Haley's eyes went to him. There was a huge and satisfied smile on his face.

Haley tried not to look so shell-shocked while she was onstage. The crown was placed on her head, and she was congratulated by Principal Turner and a couple of other members of the faculty.

"Now, if you'll all clear the way please, it's time for the customary king and queen dance."

Nathan took the lead and Haley's hand before guiding her to the wide open dance floor. She was trying to appear normal, but he knew she was still in a state of shock.

"Are you okay?" he questioned softly when they started dancing.

"Did you know about this?"

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"What?"

"I'd heard that some people would be voting for you, but I didn't know how serious it was."

"I can't believe this."

"I can."

"Well, you're bias."

"But I'm still right," Nathan declared. He brought her tighter against him. "Don't worry about the how or why. Just enjoy the moment."

Haley gave him a small smile. "I guess it is kind of cool, huh?"

"Yeah, it is." He brought his hand to her face. "But you deserve it. You've been through so much."

"You've been through so much," she argued. "I really am so proud of you, Nathan. You were dealt a hard situation, but overcame it."

"I had some help," he stated while eying her pointedly. "I've never gotten the chance to formally thank you."

"You don't have to—"

"But I do. You stood by me through everything, Hales. You don't know how much that meant to me. How much it saved me." Nathan caressed her cheek. "I love you so much."

Haley felt her eyes start to water and tried to rein in her emotions. She didn't want to cry in front of their peers again. "I love you, too." She met Nathan's gaze and felt her breath catch in her throat. Every now and then those cerulean eyes of his could just see right down into her soul.

"God, the way you look at me sometimes—" She didn't even get a chance to finish before Nathan's lips claimed hers. The kiss was slow, gentle, and full of meaning.

"I don't know what I'd ever do without you," he whispered once they pulled apart. He rested his forehead against hers.

"What?" Haley questioned when she noticed that he was thinking about something.

"I have something to tell you. A surprise."

She watched him curiously. "What is it?"

"You've done so much for me and for us. It's time I did something in return."

"What do you mean?"

"I've decided to go to Stanford."

"What?" She stared at him in disbelief.

"It's your dream school, Hales. You should go. And seeing as neither one of us wants to be separated, I'm going to go with you."

"But what about Duke?" Haley questioned.

"It doesn't matter. I can do well at Stanford, too," Nathan explained. "I just want us to be together. That's the important thing."

Haley was silent for a moment, mulling his words over.

"What's the matter?" he asked when she didn't speak up right away. "Aren't you happy?"

She quickly plastered a smile on her face. "Yes. Of course I am," Haley replied. "That's great, Nathan. Really great."

Nathan kissed her lips and embraced her. He knew that he was doing the right thing. But what he didn't see was the slight frown on his girlfriend's face as she bit her lip and held him tighter.

* * *

Haley wrung her hands as she paced back and forth. There was so much on her mind at the moment. She was so nervous. So many things had been churning over and over in her mind for the last three days. Every time she got close to some kind of clarity, she'd second guess herself and lose it all over again.

But Haley couldn't do that today. She couldn't second guess herself anymore. She had to make a decision, and she did. The only problem would be carrying out that decision. Haley didn't know what it was but, for some reason, there was this awful feeling of foreboding in the pit of her stomach.

_God, help me_, she prayed.

"Hales."

Haley turned to face her boyfriend. "Hey." She gave him what she hoped looked like a genuine smile.

"I've been looking for you. What are you doing in here?"

Haley glanced around at the empty Tutoring Center. "I, uh, thought I'd practice once more. You can never be too prepared," she laughed timidly.

Nathan rubbed his hands up and down her arms in comfort. "You still nervous about your valedictorian speech?"

"Yeah," she answered hesitantly. Although she was nervous—her speech had taken forever to write before it was the way she liked it—it wasn't exactly for the reason he thought. But that wasn't something Haley could tell him at the moment.

"Hales, everyone gets nervous when they have to make a speech," he soothed. "That's normal."

She nodded. "I know."

"You're going to do great." Nathan placed a loving kiss on her lips. "Besides, you're too much of a perfectionist to fail," he teased.

Haley rolled her eyes playfully before melting into his embrace. "Do me a favor and just hold me."

Nathan did as she asked and wrapped his arms around her. One hand stroked her back as the other caressed her hair. He suppressed a sigh as he held her. Nathan couldn't put his finger on it, but something seemed to be different about Haley these last couple of days. She was much more quiet and subdued than usual. Nathan knew that she was under a lot of pressure, what with graduation and her speech and all. But he couldn't shake the feeling that there might be something else, too. Something simmering just underneath the surface.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" he mumbled into her hair.

"Nothing." She pulled back and glanced at the clock on the wall. "We better get going. The ceremony starts in twenty minutes."

"Yeah. Everyone was already in the gym taking their seats when I left."

Haley reluctantly broke away from him. She walked over to a nearby table where her blue robe was laying along with her valedictorian sash. Nathan was already dressed and ready to go, aside from his cap.

"How do I look?" Haley asked once she was dressed. For now she was going to put all of her worries on the backburner. This was her high school graduation. She'd worked her butt off for four years to get to this moment.

Nathan smirked and moved a lock of hair away from her face. "You're the sexiest valedictorian I've ever seen."

She grinned and kissed him affectionately. "Good answer."

* * *

"I can't believe you kids just graduated. I feel so old," Karen joked wistfully.

"Me, too," Lydia agreed.

After the graduation ceremony, the group and their parents had gone to Karen's Café for dinner together to celebrate.

"It felt like it was just yesterday that I was teaching Nathan to walk and go potty."

"Mom," Nathan groaned.

Everyone laughed. It was very rare for Nathan to look embarrassed.

"How cute," Haley cooed and pinched his cheek.

"Please don't encourage her."

"Hey, I still remember Haley Bop's exhibitionist phase," Jimmy joined in. "She used to run around the house naked without a care in the world when she was little."

Haley's felt the heat rise up in her face. "Dad!"

"How cute," Nathan mimicked to her.

"So what if she did it when she was little? I still do it now," Brooke mumbled so only her friends could hear. They all snickered.

"I used to be obsessed with Star Wars," Jake announced. "I'd make these battle cruisers out of empty cardboard boxes."

Peyton grinned at her admission. "I finger painted on the walls."

"Now that was a pain to clean up," her father inserted with a shake of his head.

"Lucas would run around the house in a diaper and cowboy hat," Karen revealed. "I have pictures."

Lucas winced. "Mom, please."

"Okay, I have got to see those," Brooke proclaimed.

"I used to pee on the carpet in my house," Tim added. "My mom said I was worse than our dog."

"Ew," the girls mumbled. The guys and adults just laughed.

"That's great, Tim," Brooke deadpanned.

"Maybe we should stop with the gross baby stories," Peyton suggested.

"But they're so fun," Larry kidded, nudging her.

Everyone was talking, laughing, and reminiscing. The gang also looked through their yearbooks at various photos and signatures. Haley smiled while staring at the section that featured people's baby pictures. Brooke definitely had the cutest one. She was dressed in a pink tutu and sitting on a pink toy car with an umbrella drink in her hand.

"Damn, you were a diva early on," Peyton teased her.

"What? I was playing dress up," she defended.

They joked and chortled at more of their pictures. Afterward, they recounted various stories of their high school experience. No one could get over the fact that Nathan and Tim had stolen a school bus sophomore year. Deb hadn't even known about it. She stared at Nathan in shock before chiding him.

Haley stood up from the table several minutes later to refill her drink. She went behind the counter and got herself another soda. Her gaze wandered to the tables occupied by her family and friends. Everyone looked so happy. It may be the end of high school, but it was also a beginning. In just a few short months they'd all be attending their respective colleges and building their own futures.

At the thought of college, Haley felt a wave of emotions hit her. She was reminded of the turmoil and inner conflict she'd been battling the last few days. All of a sudden, the urge to be alone and get some air was strong.

Haley managed to stealthily slip past the counter to the stairs leading up to the roof. She shut the door behind her and took a deep breath as a warm breeze blew past her. Haley felt her anxiety from a moment ago start to dissipate. She needed to get a grip or she'd never be able to do what she had to.

Haley heard a door open behind her. The anxiety resurfaced when she saw that it was Nathan.

"What is it with you and sneaking off today?" he joked. "Are we boring you?"

She gave him a small smile. "No."

"Then what is it? I mean, you did great with your speech. Everyone loved it." Nathan had been so proud of Haley. She might've had trouble at first writing it, but the end result had been perfect. The words and quotes she used had been very moving. And although she fidgeted slightly onstage—only something people who knew her best would notice—she'd appeared so calm and collected.

"No, it's not the speech," Haley said, shaking her head.

"Then what's been bothering you? I've noticed that you've been a little distant these last few days."

"I know. I'm sorry," she muttered, biting her lip. "I, um, I don't quite know how to explain it."

"Explain what?" he gently coaxed.

Haley gazed into his piercing blues, now filled with evident concern. She took a step closer to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. Haley then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

The kiss began slow but soon gained momentum. The sudden urgency startled Nathan, but he didn't break contact. He just pulled her closer and kissed her back with the same level of intensity.

The pair broke apart a couple of minutes later when air became an issue. "Wow," Nathan muttered. "That was…"

She blushed. "Yeah."

"What was that for?"

"I have something important to talk to you about," Haley announced. She averted her eyes for a moment before meeting his gaze, once again. "And I'm afraid you're not going to be too happy with me afterward."

"Why?" The confusion and apprehension were written all over his face.

"I'm just going to say it." She inhaled a deep breath. It was now or never. "I don't want you to go to Stanford with me."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What?"

"You can't go to Stanford."

Nathan took a step back from her to judge her expression more intently. "Haley…"

"I know what you said at prom last Friday. And while I appreciate the gesture, I can't let you do it."

"I don't understand." When he initially told Haley about his decision to go to Stanford, he thought that she'd been thrilled by the news. He was so taken aback and confused by this sudden development.

"I think you should go to Duke, instead."

"Okay, hold on a minute," Nathan requested, trying to process everything. "Where is this coming from?"

"Nathan, Duke is your dream school. It's such a great opportunity for you. I don't want you to pass something like that up. You can't."

"Hales, I told you before, I want to do something for you. You've already done so much for me. I won't let you give up Stanford for me, too."

Haley fidgeted with her hands. "I wouldn't be giving up Stanford," she said in a soft voice.

"What?"

"You'd be going to Duke alone."

"Now I'm really lost. Hales, what are you talking about? I thought we decided that we wanted to go to the same school. That we didn't want to be separated."

"I know, but things have changed, Nathan."

"Since when?"

"Since I know how badly you want to go to Duke. They've got a better basketball program and have offered you a better scholarship. It's what's best for you."

Nathan looked her in the eye. "You're what's best for me."

"Nathan—"

"No, I'm not letting you do this, Haley. You don't just get to change all of our plans."

"It wasn't necessarily 'our' plans. You're the one who decided to go to Stanford. It's not like we actually discussed it and made the decision together," she pointed out in a calm voice. She could tell that Nathan was getting upset.

"We have talked about me going to Stanford before," Nathan reminded her.

"But nothing was ever final."

"Haley, it's where I want to go. I want to be with you."

"I know you want to be with me, but Stanford isn't your first choice. Duke is."

"I think I know what I want," he retorted angrily.

Haley ran a hand through her hair. Her patience was starting to wear thin. "Nathan, please listen to me. You told me that you've wanted to go to Duke since you were five years old. It's all you ever wanted," she explained. "Now you finally have a chance to go, and you're just going to throw it away?"

"I'm not throwing anything away," he retorted. "Besides, it was Dan who put the idea of Duke in my head in the first place."

"That doesn't matter. You can still want to go despite what your father said or did."

"Haley, I'm doing what's best for us."

Haley sighed, frustrated. "Nathan, I am not going to let you jeopardize your future for me."

He stared at her incredulously. "Is that what this is about? Haley, there is nothing wrong with me going to Stanford. It's a good school."

"Not for basketball. You deserve to be a big fish in a big pond," she disputed, using their words from a conversation months prior. "I refuse to let you settle for anything less."

"Well, it's not your decision, is it?"

"It affects me just as much as it affects you."

"Oh, so it's okay for you to decide my future, but not me. That makes a lot of sense," Nathan scoffed.

"Nathan, I love you. I just want what's best for you. If you don't go to Duke, I know that someday you're going to regret it."

"You know, I'm really sick of people telling me what's best for me. It's bad enough my father did that. I don't need it from you, too," he replied, his voice rising.

"Don't you dare even compare me to Dan!" Haley snapped. "He cared only about himself. I care about you. And if you can't see that going to Stanford is a mistake, then I'm going to show you."

"I can't even believe I'm hearing this right now. Who are you, and what have you done with my real girlfriend?" He felt like he was in the middle of some kind of nightmare. One minute things had been perfect and the next everything was falling apart.

"Don't be a smart ass. I just want you to listen to me. Really listen to me and think about this," Haley pleaded. She had to make him see how much of an impact this decision could have on him.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd almost think that you're saying you don't want to be with me."

"You know that's not it," she objected.

Nathan snorted. "Yeah, well it sure sounds like it."

"God, why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"I'm stubborn? Maybe you should take a good look in the mirror."

"Nathan, I'm trying to help you."

"Yeah, well, I don't need your help! I'm a big boy. I can make my own decisions. I'm going to Stanford."

"Nathan—"

"I'm going to Stanford," he declared in a firm voice. "And that's the end of it."

Haley stared at him in both disbelief and consternation. She knew that this conversation wasn't going to be easy. She'd expected Nathan to be a little difficult. But to see him this obstinate and forceful completely caught her off guard. He wasn't listening to what she was saying and he sure as hell wasn't contemplating it.

Haley felt her stomach churn as an unsettling thought popped into her head. It was extreme, but it was the only card she had left to play. She just couldn't let him do this. Nathan may not see it now, but Haley knew him. If he gave up Duke to go to Stanford and passed up one of the best opportunities of his life, someday down the line he was going to regret it. Maybe not right away but someday.

And even if it broke her heart, Haley couldn't let that happen.

"I think we should break up." The words popped out of her mouth without a second thought.

Nathan stood, frozen. "What?"

"I can't be with you if you're going to do this. I won't support this. I'm going to Stanford in the fall, Nathan. And if you go, then ultimately that is your choice. But I won't be with you when you get there." She inhaled a shaky, yet resolute breath and met his gaze straight on. "You'll be on your own."

Haley watched him carefully as a variety of emotions crossed his face. There was shock and sadness at first. A moment later, though, those looks disappeared completely. Nathan's face suddenly became stoic. But the fire burning in his eyes could not be missed.

"So that's how it's going to be?" Nathan muttered.

"I'm sorry," Haley whispered, fighting back tears.

"No, you're not," he replied with an emptiness in his voice. "But if that's they way you want it, then fine."

"Nathan—"

"Just save it, Haley," he bit out, the anger now surfacing. "Don't even bother. It's over."

Before she could say anything else, Nathan made his way to the door. It opened just as he reached for the handle.

"Here you guys are," Brooke declared. "We were wondering what happened to you."

"Who wants to play some miniature golf?" Lucas proposed.

Nathan didn't say anything. He just shook his head and walked past his friends out the door.

"What's the matter with him?" Peyton questioned.

"Haley?"

Haley didn't turn to Lucas or the others. Her eyes were completely transfixed on the door.

"Tutor Girl, are you okay?"

"Hales," Lucas said, concerned. "What's the matter?"

When Haley finally faced them, it was then that the first of her tears started to fall. "Nathan and I just broke up."

To be continued in the sequel..."Leave the Pieces"


End file.
